Microbial-derived bio-surfactant using neem oil as substrate and its suitability for enhanced oil recovery

Abstract

The limitation in the formulation and application of synthetic surfactants in petroleum industry is owing to their high cost of production or importation and their associated toxic effect which have been proven to be harmful to the environment. Hence it is vitally imperative to develop an optimum surfactant that is cost-effective, environmentally safe (biodegradable) and equally serves as surface acting agent. This study discusses the production of microbial produced bio-surfactant and its application in enhanced oil recovery. The bacteria Pseudomonas sp. were isolated from urine and allow to feed on neem seed oil as the major carbon source and energy. The crude bio-surfactant produced from the fermentation process was used to prepare three (3) solutions of bio-surfactants at different concentrations of 5 g/500 mL, 10 g/500 mL and 15 g/500 mL, and their suitability for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) was evaluated. Reservoir core samples and crude oil collected from the Niger Delta field were used to evaluate the EOR application of the microbial-derived surfactants. The sets of experimental samples were carried out using core flooding and permeability tester equipment, and the results obtained were compared with conventional waterflooding experiments. The three bio-surfactant concentrations were observed to recover more oil than the conventional waterflooding method for the two core samples used. Optimum performance of the produced microbial-derived surfactant on oil recovery based on the concentrations was observed to be 10 g/500 mL for the two samples used in this study. Therefore, eco-friendly bio-surfactant produced from neem seed oil using Pseudomonas sp. has shown to be a promising potential substance for enhanced oil recovery applications by incremental recoveries of 51.9%, 53.2%, and 29.5% at the concentration of 5, 10, and 15 g/500 mL and 24.7%, 28.7%, and 20.1% at concentration of 5, 10, and 15 g/500 mL for the two core samples, respectively.

Dataset on modelling natural surfactant adsorption derived from non-edible seed oil (linseed oil) on sandstone reservoir rock

“…It contains high dietary fibre with unusually large amount of α-linolenic acid(ALA), hence they are green and biodegradable [ [1] , [2] , [3] ]. This linseed derived surfactant are produced through a combination processes: transesterification and sulfonation as a means of improving the eventual surfactant stability in aqueous solution during chemical flooding applications [ [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] ]. The adsorbent (from Berea sandstone core) is of broad distribution after being pulverized, dried, and sieved through different mesh sizes by a sieve-shaker with average gradation size of 325.5µm from 297µm to 354 µm sieve size.…”

Dataset on Modelling Natural Surfactant Adsorption Derived from Non-Edible Seed Oil (Linseed Oil) on Sandstone Reservoir Rock

“…It contains high dietary fibre with unusually large amount of α-linolenic acid(ALA), hence they are green and biodegradable [1][2][3]. This linseed derived surfactant are produced through a combination processes: transesterification and sulfonation as a means of improving the eventual surfactant stability in aqueous solution during chemical flooding applications [4][5][6][7]. The adsorbent (from Berea sandstone core) is of broad distribution after being pulverized, dried, and sieved through different mesh sizes by a sieve-shaker with average gradation size of 325.5μm from 297μm to 354 μm sieve size.…”

Investigation into the Use of Thevetia Peruviana seed oil for Surfactant Flooding

“…The plant can produce about 400-1000 fruits in a year depending on the favorable weather conditions of the plant. The fruits are mainly green in appearance and black on matured stage [15]. [2] noted that Thevetia peruviana seed contain oil of high quantity (about 60-65%).…”

“…Surfactant flooding is one of the various methods used in the oil and gas industry to improve oil recovery from the reservoir. It involves the injection of surfactants which are chemicals to displace residual oil within the reservoir by decreasing the interfacial tension between the displacing and displaced fluids thereby maximizing oil production [15]. Surfactant is a surface acting agent, which can adsorb at a surface of the oil/water interface and alter the rock wettability, via reducing the interfacial tension and surface chemistry of the rock properties [13,12].…”