Controlling bioavailability of nutrient additions in subsurface formations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9587471-B2
Application number	US-201414463737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2014
Priority date	Sep 29, 2008
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

Controlling microbial growth and activity during Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery processes is disclosed. Specific control of microbial growth and activity in this process results in prevention of nutrient loss in transit and allows better targeting of microbial activity to the desired subsurface location(s).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of enhancing the growth of microbes at targeted subsurface location comprising:
a. providing a subsurface location comprising an injection site;
b. providing the components of an inhibited nutrient composition selected from the group consisting of:
i) nutrients;
ii) chemical inhibitors; and
iii) live microbial cultures;

c. performing an analysis of site treatment parameters selected from the group consisting of; determining the dispersion rate of subsurface water from the injection site; analyzing the composition oil at the oil well site to determine absorption rates of the chemical inhibitors; and analyzing the composition of subterranean fluids for hydrolysis rates of the chemical inhibitors;
d. formulating an inhibited nutrient composition comprising specific nutrient concentrations on the basis of the analysis of step c) in such that injection of the inhibited nutrient composition in fluid at the injection site results in enhanced microbial growth at a target site distant from the injection site.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the enhanced microbial growth of step d) improves oil recovery from the targeted subsurface location.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the enhanced microbial growth of step d) degrades contaminating compounds at the targeted subsurface contaminated location.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the inhibited nutrient composition is injected in an injection site formulation of any of claims 1 - 3 .

Assignees

• Du Pont

Inventors

• Fallon Robert D

Classifications

• E21B43/16 Primary

  Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons · CPC title

• A01N33/04

  Nitrogen directly attached to aliphatic or cycloaliphatic carbon atoms · CPC title

• A01N35/02

  containing aliphatically bound aldehyde or keto groups, or thio analogues thereof; Derivatives thereof, e.g. acetals · CPC title

• A01N31/02 Primary

  Acyclic compounds · CPC title

• A01N59/00

  Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing elements or inorganic compounds · CPC title