Biodestruction of Petroleum Hydrocarbons

Biodegradation of light and high-viscosity oils by hydrocarbon-oxidizing microflora has been studied. Microflora was isolated from the formation waters recovered from West Siberian and “White Tiger”  (Vietnam) oil fields. To activate microorganisms one used the solution of IKhN-KA system containing a multi-component nitrogenous nutrient substrate. Under the condition of active development of microorganisms during 5 days of biodegradation the concentration of n-alkanes C10-C32 in light oils decreased by 70-85% and that of viscous oil – by 86-93%. Destruction of mono-aromatic compounds accounted for 55-65 % and that of aromatic compounds of naphthalene series – 70-90 %. The content of methyl- and trimethyl phenanthrenes decreased 3 times. Therefore a degree of oil destruction depends on nutrient substrates, which stimulate biochemical processes of vital activity

EOR Technologies: Physico-Chemical Aspects

The application of self-regulating oil-displacing systems is considered to be a promising trend in the development of physico-chemical EOR methods. Technologies intended to increase conformance predominate. EOR technologies, where heat energy of the formation is used to generate alkaline buffer systems, CO2 and gels increasing oil displacement and conformance, have wide potentialities. Such methods have been realized in the technologies developed at the Institute of Petroleum Chemistry SB RAS (IPC). Hydrolysis, hydrolytic polycondensation and coagulation in the system carbamide – aluminum salt – surfactant – water is the physico-chemical base for the technologies involving alkaline buffer systems, CO2 and inorganic gels. To prepare thermoreversible polymer gels one uses change of phase from solution to gel in the system: cellulose ether with a lower critical dissolution point – water. Presented are the results obtained on the application of physico-chemical EOR methods and technologies developed at IPC in oil fields of Russia. The technologies proved to be economically effective and environmentally safe. The period of payback is 5-12 months

Method for Deriving Carboxymethyl Cellulose

Chemical conversions proceeding in solid substances under mechanical effects are of great practical importance. At solid-phase mechanochemical interaction of powder cellulose and rice husks with a carboxymethylation agent, i.e. sodium monochloracetate, one obtained a product, the composition and properties of which are similar to commercial carboxymethyl cellulose. The given products were synthesized using laboratory microgrinder of a planetary type MA-1. Carboxymethyl cellulose obtained from powder cellulose is water-soluble product. Solubility of carboxymethyl cellulose synthesized from rice husks is about 80-95%. Viscosity of 5% aqueous solutions of the products from powder cellulose is about 2-5 mPa⋅s and viscosity of 10% aqueous solutions of the products from rice husks is about 4-6 mPa⋅s. It corresponds to viscosity of 1% solution of the commercial carboxymethyl cellulose. Carboxymethyl cellulose, obtained from powder cellulose and rice husks, represents a cheap product for petroleum, gas and building branches. Application of efficient and ecologically convenient solid-phase mechanochemical technology of carboxymethylation cellulose-containing products allows using accessible cellulose-containing scraps as raw material without their preliminary preparation and clearing. One can use carboxymethyl cellulose obtained by the solid-phase technology developed to control viscosity of water-based drilling fluids. Solubility and viscosity of these products depend on parameters of the processing and are compared to similar properties of commercial carboxymethyl cellulose

Application of an Oil-Displacing Composition for Increasing Flow Rate of Low Producing High-Viscosity Oil Wells of the Usinskoye Oil Field

The results of a pilot application of a chemical composition for enhanced oil recovery developed at the IPC SB RAS are presented. The EOR-composition was tested in 2014 at the Permian-Carboniferous heavy oil deposit at the Usinskoye oil field. It is very effective for an increase in oil production rate and decrease in water cuttings of well production. In terms of the additionally produced oil, the resulting effect is up to 800 tons per well and its duration is up to 6 months. The application of technologies of low-productivity-well stimulation using the oil-displacing IKhNPRO system with controlled viscosity and alkalinity is thought to be promising. This composition is proposed for the ‘cold’ stimulation of high-viscosity oil production as an alternative to thermal methods