Treatment of a subterranean formation with composition including a microorganism or compound generated by the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9670395-B2
Application number	US-201313867536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2013
Priority date	Apr 22, 2013
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods of treating a subterranean formation with a composition including a compound made by a microorganism or a microorganism that can make the compound. Various embodiments provide methods of using compositions for treatment of subterranean formations including exopolysaccharides or microorganisms that can make exopolysaccharides under downhole conditions. In various embodiments, the present invention provides a method of treating a subterranean formation, including providing at least one exopolysaccharide by subjecting an extremophilic or extremotolerant microorganism to conditions such that the microorganism forms the exopolysaccharide, or by subjecting a microorganism genetically modified using an extremophilic or extremotolerant microorganism to conditions such that the microorganism forms the exopolysaccharide. The method can also include contacting a composition including the exopolysaccharide with a subterranean material downhole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of treating a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
providing at least one exopolysaccharide by at least one of
subjecting an extremophilic or extremotolerant microorganism to conditions comprising a temperature of about 150° C. to about 500° C. such that the microorganism forms the exopolysaccharide, or
subjecting a microorganism genetically modified using an extremophilic or extremotolerant microorganism to conditions comprising a temperature of about 150° C. to about 500° C. such that the microorganism forms the exopolysaccharide; and

contacting the subterranean formation with a composition comprising the exopolysaccharide, the exopolysaccharide being a viscosity modifying compound that increases viscosity of the composition,
wherein the extremophilic or extremotolerant microorganism is at least one of Acetobacter, Achromobacter, Acinetobacter, Aeropyrum, Agrobacterium, Alcaligenes, Alteromonas, Aquifex, Archaeoglobus, Aureomonas, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Beijerinckia, Chromohalobacter, Colwellia, Escherichia, Exiguobacterium, Geobacillus, Geothermobacterium, Hahella, Haloarcula, Halobacterium, Halobiforma, Halococcus, Haloferax, Halomonas, Halopiger, Haloquadratum, Halorubrum, Haloterrigena, Idiomarina, Lactobacillus, Lentinus, Leuconostoc, Methanococcus, Methanosarcina, Methylobacterium, Micrococcus, Mucorales, Natrialba, Natronobacterium, Natronococcus, Palleronia, Pantoea, Paracoccus, Phoma, Pseudoalteromonas, Pseudomonas, Pyrococcus, Pyrolobus, Rhizobium, Rhodococcus, Salipiger, Sclerotium, Sinorhizobium, Sphingomonas, Staphylococcus, Sulfolobus, Tetragenococcus, Thermococcus, Thermotoga, Thermus, Vibrio, Xanthomonas, Zymomonas, Acetobacter xylinum, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Aeropyrum pernix, Agrobacterium radiobacter, Alcaligenes faecalis var. myxogenes, Alcaligenes viscosus, Alteromonas hispanica, Alteromonas infernus, Alteromonas macleodii subsp. Fijiensis, Aquifex aeolicus, Archaeoglobus fulgidus, Aureomonas elodea, Azotobacter vinelandii, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus thermodenitrificans, Beijerinckia indica, Chromohalobacter beijerinckii, Colwellia psychrerythraea, Escherichia coli, Exiguobacterium acetylicum, Exiguobacterium aestuarii, Exiguobacterium antarticum, Exiguobacterium artmeiae, Exiguobacterium aurantiacum, Exiguobacterium marinum, Exiguobacterium mexicanum, Exiguobacterium oxidotolerans, Exiguobacterium profumsum, Exiguobacterium sibiricum, Exiguobacterium undae, Geobacillus tepidamans, Geothermobacterium ferrireducens, Hahella chejuensis, Haloarcula hispanica, Haloarcula japonica, Haloarcula marismortui, Halobacterium noricense, Halobiforma haloterrestris, Halococcus dombrowskii, Halococcus salifodinae, Haloferax denitrificans, Haloferax gibbonsii, Haloferax mediterranei, Haloferax volcanii, Halomonas alkaliantarctica, Halomonas eurihalina, Halomonas maura, Halomonas salaria, Halopiger aswanensis, Haloterrigena hispanica, Lactobacillus hilgardii, Lentinus elodes, Leuconostoc dextranicum, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Methanococcus jannaschii, Natronobacterium gregoryi, Palleronia marisminoris, Pantoea stewartii subsp. Stewartii, Phoma herbarum, Pseudoalteromonas antarctica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas marginalis, Pyrococcus furiosus, Pyrolobus fumarii, Salipiger mucosus, Sclerotium delfinii, Sclerotium glucanicum, Sclerotium rolfsii, Sinorhizobium meliloti, Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus equi, Sulfolobus solfataricus, Tetragenococcus halophilus, Thermococcus litoralis, Thermotoga maritima, Thermus aquaticus, Vibrio Diabolicus, Xanthomonas campestris , or Zymomonas mobilis.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing of the exopolysaccharide is performed above the surface.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing of the exopolysaccharide is performed downhole.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein placing the composition in the subterranean formation comprises placing the microorganism in the subterranean formation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature is about 200° C. to about 500° C.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microorganism is at least one of an acidophile, an alkaliphile, an anaerobe, a cryptoendolith, a halophile, a hyperthermophile, a hypolith, a lithoautotroph, metallotolerant, an oligotroph, an osmophile, a piezophile, a polyextremophile, a psychrophile, a cryophile, radioresistant, a thermophile, a thermoacidophile, or a xerophile.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microorganism is at least one of acidotolerant, alkalitolerant, anaerobe, a cryptoendolith, halotolerant, a hyperthermophile, a hypolith, a lithoautotroph, metallotolerant, an oligotroph, osmotolerant, piezotolerant, polyextremotolerant, psychrotolerant, cryotolerant, radioresistant, thermotolerant, thermoacidotolerant, or xerotolerant.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microorganism is at least one of archaea, bacteria, fungi, or algea.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the exopolysaccharide is at least one of acetan, alginate, cellulose, chitosan, curdlan, a cyclosophoran, dextran, emulsan, a galactoglucopolysaccharide, gellan, glucuronan, N-acetyl-glucosamine, N-acetyl-heparosan, hyaluronic acid, indicant, kefiran, lentinan, levan, mauran, pullulan, scleroglucan, schizophyllan, stewartan, succinoglycan, xanthan, or welan.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the exopolysaccharide is the same as an exopolysaccharide made by a microorganism comprising at least one of Acetobacter, Achromobacter, Acinetobacter, Aeropyrum, Agrobacterium, Alcaligenes, Alteromonas, Aquifex, Archaeoglobus, Aureomonas, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Beijerinckia, Chromohalobacter, Colwellia, Escherichia, Exiguobacterium, Geobacillus, Geothermobacterium, Hahella, Haloarcula, Halobacterium, Halobiforma, Halococcus, Haloferax, Halomonas, Halopiger, Haloquadratum, Halorubrum, Haloterrigena, Idiomarina, Lactobacillus, Lentinus, Leuconostoc, Methanococcus, Methanosarcina, Methylobacterium, Micrococcus, Mucorales, Natrialba, Natronobacterium, Natronococcus, Palleronia, Pantoea, Paracoccus, Phoma, Pseudoalteromonas, Pseudomonas, Pyrococcus, Pyrolobus, Rhizobium, Rhodococcus, Salipiger, Sclerotium, Sinorhizobium, Sphingomonas, Staphylococcus, Sulfolobus, Tetragenococcus, Thermococcus, Thermotoga, Thermus, Vibrio, Xanthomonas , or Zymomonas.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the exopolysaccharide is the same as an exopolysaccharide made by a microorganism comprising at least one of Acetobacter xylinum, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Aeropyrum pernix, Agrobacterium radiobacter, Alcaligenes faecalis var. myxogenes, Alcaligenes viscosus, Alteromonas hispanica, Alteromonas infernus, Alteromonas macleodii subsp. Fijiensis, Aquifex aeolicus, Archaeoglobus fulgidus, Aureomonas elodea, Azotobacter vinelandii, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus thermodenitrificans, Beijerinckia indica, Chromohalobacter beijerinckii, Colwellia psychrerythraea, Escherichia coli, Exiguobacterium acetylicum, Exiguobacterium aestuarii, Exiguobacterium antarticum, Exiguobacterium artmeiae, Exiguobacterium aurantiacum, Exiguobacterium marinum, Exiguobacterium mexicanum, Exiguobacterium oxidotolerans, Exiguobacterium profumsum, Exiguobacterium sibiricum, Exiguobacterium undae, Geobacillus tepidamans, Geothermobacterium ferrireducens, Hahella chejuensis, Haloarcula hispanica, Haloarcula japonica, Haloarcula marismortui, Halobacterium noricense, Halobiforma haloterrestris, Halococcus dombrowskii, Halococcus salifodinae, Haloferax denitrificans, Haloferax gibbonsii, Haloferax mediterranei, Haloferax volcanii, Halomonas alkaliantarctica, Halomonas eurihalina, Halomonas ma

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Mcdaniel Cato Russell

Classifications

• C09K8/725

  Compositions containing polymers · CPC title

• C09K8/68

  containing organic compounds · CPC title

• C09K8/582 Primary

  characterised by the use of bacteria · CPC title

• C09K8/52

  Compositions for preventing, limiting or eliminating depositions, e.g. for cleaning · CPC title

• C09K8/467

  containing additives for specific purposes · CPC title