Bio‐enhanced oil recovery (BEOR) methods: All‐important review of the occasions and challenges

Abstract

Bio‐enhanced oil recovery (BEOR) is an advanced and innovative approach in the oil industry that could be a potential solution to increase oil production from existing reservoirs using technologies based on biological methods. Nevertheless, there has been a lack of comprehensive reviews that elucidate the various aspects and potential of different BEOR methods and processes. This review summarizes the recent progress of various methods employed in BEOR, exploring their applications and highlighting their distinct advantages. BEOR employs different techniques, including microorganisms and biomicrobes microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR), enzymes, biopolymers, bionanomaterials, alkaline, and biosurfactants to increase oil recovery. Microorganisms contribute significantly to BEOR through metabolic processes that result in the production of gases and acids. The role of enzymes is to enhance the fluid flow and thereby facilitate oil production. Biosurfactants reduce the interfacial tension (IFT) between oil and water and mobilize the trapped oil. Biopolymers are obtained from biological sources such as plants, microorganisms, and algae. Biopolymers can interact with oil, which is well‐used in the process of EOR. Bionano processes represent a fusion of biology and nanotechnology, integrate the advantages of both microorganisms and nanoparticles, and provide a synergic effect for EOR. The BEOR revealed an attractive potential to be an effective approach to maximizing the oil recovery considering environmental, economic productivity, and sustainability issues. Also, this review encourages further studies and development in this field for fully exploiting BEOR's capacity and meeting the ever‐increasing needs of energy resources with a sustainable viewpoint.

Expansion of Nanotechnology-Based Chemically Enhanced Oil Recovery Field Applications in Colombia: An Approach from Laboratory Experiments, Effluent Follow-Up, and Machine Learning

“…In addition, a methodology for the design of surfactant-based nanofluids was proposed to consider the system’s salinity, as well as the nanoparticle and surfactant concentration . Hence, several review articles have been published to address and compile the different proposals for nanotechnology-assisted CEOR (NanoCEOR) processes. ,,,,,− Nevertheless, despite the increasing number of publications regarding this topic in the specialized literature, field trials under real conditions have been limited.…”

“…In the case of polymer systems, special attention has been paid to the inhibition of polymer degradation and improvement of the solution stability in polymers of different chemical nature with several types of nanoparticles. − However, polymer application under real conditions is limited due to the robust facilities that are required for polymer preparation in the field, which makes the development and expansion of field trials using nanoparticle-enhanced polymer solutions. On the other hand, when nanoparticles are added to surfactant-based solutions, there is no need of robust surface facilities for the injection , and several mechanisms can be impacted, including (i) reduction of the surfactant adsorption on the rock, (ii) reduction of interfacial tension, (iii) less amount of chemistry used in CEOR processes, and (iv) promotion of water-wettable surfaces. − In this sense, several studies have been developed under laboratory and field conditions to enhance surfactant-based processes with nanotechnology, including raw nanoparticles, ,− composite/functionalized/grafted nanomaterials, ,− Janus nanoparticles, − bionanofluids, − solvent-based nanofluids, , among others. As an example, Ramezani et al studied the interfacial tension response of different surfactant–nanoparticle systems.…”