Field trial of paraffin degrading bacterial consortium in selected wells
The objective of the project is to test the effectiveness of developed paraffin degrading bacteria in paraffin deposition in oil wells.
In the first phase of the joint work done by TERI, India and IRS (Institute of Reservoir Studies), ONGC, Ahmedabad, India, a thermophilic, microaerophillic paraffin degrading bacterial consortium was developed. This consortium was able to degrade the paraffin crude oil of Limbodara oil wells at temperatures of 55 C to 70 C. At high temperatures, availability of oxygen is less, and therefore oxygen generating biocatalyst compounds were selected to increase oxygen availability. Thus the rate of biodegradation of paraffins at high temperature can be increased. Due to degradation of paraffins by thermophilic bacterial consortium in the presence of biocatalyst the pour point of paraffinic crude oil reduced substantially. These encouraging results prompted us to test them at actual oil well conditions.
If the application of the bacterial consortium to the oil wells helps in prevention of deposition, the cost saving for ONGC would be in terms of less well closure time, less number of scrapping and solvent jobs in oil wells. If the technology succeeds it will be a low cost and environmentally safe technology, which can be applied in larger number of wells. Moreover, the demand for such a technology in the national and international markets is very high.
In the first phase of the joint work done by TERI, India and IRS (Institute of Reservoir Studies), ONGC, Ahmedabad, India, a thermophilic, microaerophillic paraffin degrading bacterial consortium was developed. This consortium was able to degrade the paraffin crude oil of Limbodara oil wells at temperatures of 55 C to 70 C. At high temperatures, availability of oxygen is less, and therefore oxygen generating biocatalyst compounds were selected to increase oxygen availability. Thus the rate of biodegradation of paraffins at high temperature can be increased. Due to degradation of paraffins by thermophilic bacterial consortium in the presence of biocatalyst the pour point of paraffinic crude oil reduced substantially. These encouraging results prompted us to test them at actual oil well conditions.
If the application of the bacterial consortium to the oil wells helps in prevention of deposition, the cost saving for ONGC would be in terms of less well closure time, less number of scrapping and solvent jobs in oil wells. If the technology succeeds it will be a low cost and environmentally safe technology, which can be applied in larger number of wells. Moreover, the demand for such a technology in the national and international markets is very high.