Published by the DTI Oil & Gas Directorate for the reservoir engineering and IOR community in the UK.
Send comments on this issue and contributions for next issue to iornewsletter@senergyltd.com by 15 August 2002.

Workshop on Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery, sponsored by DTI Oil and Gas Directorate, 27 February 2002, Patio Hotel, Beach Boulevard, Aberdeen AB24 5EF

This workshop attracted 40 delegates, half of whom were representing operating oil companies. The main presentations were on the Laboratory Development and Field Implementation of Aerobic MEOR by Egil Sunde of Statoil and Franz Gößnitzer of OMV and on Microbial Permeability Profile Modification to Enhance Oil Recovery - A New MEOR Technology by Prof. Lewis R. Brown of Mississippi State University. Other presentations were made by Ian Vance of BP, Dario Frigo of Shell, Grethe Kjeilen of RF- Rogaland Research, Iain Spark of Commercial Microbiology and David Hughes of Senergy Ltd.
The workshop was chaired by Tissa Jayasekera of the DTI's Oil and Gas Directorate.

From the left: Grethe Kjeilen, RF- Rogaland Research, Todd French, Mississippi State University, Prof. Lewis R. Brown of Mississippi State University and Iain Spark, Commercial Microbiology

Proceedings of the workshop are available on CD-ROM, price £25. For further details please contact David Hughes at Reservoir Management (david.hughes@senergyltd.com).
The principal threads drawn from the day were:

• No one dismissed the application of the technology out of hand but there appeared to be a disconnect (of scale and maybe conceptually) between onshore and offshore application.
• For a significant additional recovery, the microbial growth would need to occur deep in the reservoir not close to wells. For near wellbore flow improvement operations there are more conventional proven technology available.
• Use of indigenous (either those present on geological time or introduced by drilling/water injection) microbes appears more suitable than injecting especially selected microbes which are foreign or have not yet adapted to their environment.
• Appeared to be little problem in principle with injection of nitrates and phosphates. Issue regarding injecting carbohydrate more problematic - particularly logistics.
• Some concerns on the corrosion side regarding injection of air (aerobic process).
• More openness required - including collaboration between operators.
• Clear that there is a lack of understanding (even between microbiologists) on what is going on in terms of recovery mechanisms although it was reasonably clear from the applications presented that something beneficial occurred (or is occurring).
• UK sector offshore field trails required (even of the just get on with it and see what happens type). Not clear if any operator was actually volunteering to dip their toe in the water first.
• Statoil's AMEOR technology is the only one presented that categorically makes the transition to offshore application, and as such seems to be the leading candidate (this does not mean that there is anything technically wrong with the other processes).
• Example simulations required to estimate the potential benefits.

One delegate, Stephen Goodyear from AEA Technology has kindly provided his comments on the day: DTI MEOR Workshop: A Participant's View.

Prof. Lewis Brown has also provided feed back of his thoughts on the discussion that followed the presentations: Thoughts on MEOR from DTI Workshop

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