It’s always interesting to discover the ways in which various scientific disciplines intertwine with the oil and gas industry. While traditional research and development is being conducted by scientists specializing in petroleum biology to enhance efforts of extracting and processing hydrocarbons, other R&D companies pour their efforts into finding ways to bypass hydrocarbons completely, opting to produce a “greener,” more-renewable source of oil.
Microbiology
Abdulmohsen A. Al-Humam, a member of the biotechnology group at Saudi Aramco’s research and development center, has been working on methods to control microorganisms that cause problems in water-injection systems and oil-field reservoirs.
Recent research by Al-Humam could have far-reaching effects on oil production in Saudi Arabia, Aramco reports. His thesis for earning a PhD in petroleum microbiology, “Effects of Nitrate on Mixed Bacterial Communities in an Oilfield Water Distribution System,” sheds light on the processes that control microorganisms at oil facilities.
In a recent company publication, Aramco described the issue: “Water is injected into oil reservoirs to keep the pressure high, boosting production. The reservoirs are also prime habitats for sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), a diverse group of microorganisms that decrease the level of sulfate in minerals such as oil. But as they reduce sulfate, they produce hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a highly toxic substance causing one of the petroleum industry’s biggest problems, souring. And that lowers the economic value of oil and carries major safety hazards.”
Al-Humam says, “Unfortunately, for years, industries disregarded the concept of biological souring of oil field reservoirs. This resulted in production facilities being designed and built without consideration of the long-term effects that microorganisms might have on the operation and maintenance of these facilities.”
Aramco says that Al-Humam’s research “offers a new, alternative approach to controlling SRB levels through repeated injections of nitrate.”
Al-Humam’s study was conducted in two parts: first in laboratory experiments and then in a field trial in Aramco’s Hawtah oil field. “The trial showed that injecting nitrate into the water-distribution system limited SRB activity and H2S production, was 43% more cost-efficient than other methods, and improved well operation by 12-15%,” Aramco said.
Al-Humam’s research was presented at the Reservoir Microbiology Forum, held by the British Energy Institute in London, and at the Corrosion Conference held by NACE International. EI’s next RMF is slated for Nov. 24-25 in London.
Oil from algae
Another company is sidestepping hydrocarbons in its development of a renewable form of energy from an unlikely biological source.
OriginOil Inc. is developing a breakthrough technology that will transform algae, “the most promising source of renewable oil,” into “a true competitor to petroleum,” the company says. The company’s web site (www.originoil.com) contains videos of the process.
OriginOil explains: “Much of the world’s oil and gas is made up of ancient algae deposits. Today, our technology will produce “new oil” from algae, through a cost-effective, high-speed manufacturing process. This endless supply of new oil can be used for many products such as diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, plastics, and solvents without the global warming effects of petroleum.”
The benefits of the process, OriginOil says, are numerous. It says: “Other oil-producing feedstock such as corn and sugarcane often destroy vital farmlands and rainforests, disrupt global food supplies, and create new environmental problems.” Their technology, says the Los Angeles-based company, “is targeted at fundamentally changing our source of oil without disrupting the environment or food supplies,” adding, “Instead of drilling for old oil, we can now manufacture clean, new oil, anytime and anywhere, delivering a revolutionary breakthrough to the world.”
The search continues
Interesting, all of it. Of course, the most important part of seeking out new ways to safely extract oil and gas as well as developing alternative energy sources remains the search itself. It’s been reported time and time again that the world’s energy will need to come from many, many sources. So, let the search continue.
