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Microbe EOR
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Problem: Only 30% of oil ever flows from an oil field!
The remaining 70% remains stuck to the rock.
Potential: Old, long dead oil fields, which have produced
billions of barrels of oil, may produce even more in the future.
Solution: Microbes which eat some oil and produce surfactants.
The surfactants loosen the remaining oil from the rock to flow freely to
the oil wells. This special microbe actually enjoys oil and produces
surfactants. The surfactant mixes with oil so that the oil repulses from
the reservoir rock and flows with water.
Profit: Those having this special microbe may buy mineral rights
to long expired oil fields and then produce oil from the old field for
pennies a barrel. The exploration, geology, and well drilling costs having
already been paid. A single dead giant oil field yielding a billion barrels
at just $1/barrel and sold for $20/barrel would yield $19,000,000,000. The
hard work of freeing the oil done by hapless microbes which are satisfied
just to eat some oil!
Worldwide we could see a tripling of Ultimate Recoverable Reserves
which would amply supply oil demand for the next century. First for profit
will be the dormant giant oil fields. Then smaller fields. Then those giant
oil fields which currently yield very low recovery, such as the "like lard"
oil off of Congo's SW coast, Venezuela's Orinoco heavy oil belt, and
the tar sands of Canada's Praires. Finally many reservoirs which electric
logs show have up to 30% oil content - which is not enough to actually flow
any oil - will yield 80% of the oil in place instead of 0%!
Action: The microbe described already exists and I want to be
part of the team which first utilises it.
World Map
