Abstract
This paper depicts the results of a forty-five month field demonstration of a microbial permeability profile modification (MPPM) technology to enhance oil recovery from a fluvial dominated deltaic reservoir. Simply stated MPPM involves adding nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing microbial nutrients to the injection water of a conventional waterflooding operation. The resulting microbial growth redirects water flow from the more porous zones to new unswept oil-bearing channels, thereby increasing the efficiency of the waterflood. The success of the technology was shown by the recovery of 69,000 bbl of incremental oil during the first 42 months with a projected recovery of 400,000-600,000 bbl and an extension of the economic life of the field by 60-137 months. Attractive features of the MPPM are that it (1) may be employed in many geological formations amenable to waterflooding, (2) does not interfere with normal waterflooding activities, (3) is environmentally friendly, and (4) is the least expensive of all EOR processes in terms of cost per barrel of incremental oil recovered.
