Assessment of the Biogenic Souring in Oil Reservoirs under Secondary and Tertiary Oil Recovery

Hakan Alkan (), Felix Kögler, Gyunay Namazova, Stephan Hatscher, Wolfgang Jelinek and Mohd Amro
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Hakan Alkan: Institute of Drilling Technology and Fluid Mining, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, 09599 Freiberg, Germany
Felix Kögler: Institute Earth & Environment Strasbourg (EES), University of Strasbourg, 67084 Strasbourg, France
Gyunay Namazova: License & Technology, Petoro AS, 4005 Stavanger, Norway
Stephan Hatscher: Well and Production Chemistry, Wintershall Dea Norge AS, 4020 Stavanger, Norway
Wolfgang Jelinek: Advisor Consultant Petroleum Engineering, 48527 Nordhorn, Germany
Mohd Amro: Institute of Drilling Technology and Fluid Mining, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, 09599 Freiberg, Germany

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-35

Abstract: The formation of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) in petroleum reservoirs by anaerobic microbial activity (through sulfate-reducing microorganisms, SRMs) is called biogenic souring of reservoirs and poses a risk in the petroleum industry as the compound is extremely toxic, flammable, and corrosive, causing devastating damage to reservoirs and associated surface facilities. In this paper, we present a workflow and the tools to assess biogenic souring from a pragmatic engineering perspective. The retention of H 2 S in the reservoir due to the reactions with iron-bearing rock minerals (e.g., siderite) is shown in a theoretical approach here and supported with literature data. Cases are provided for two fields under secondary (waterflooding) and tertiary flooding with microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). The use of the Monte Carlo method as a numerical modeling tool to incorporate uncertainties in the measured physical/chemical/biochemical data is demonstrated as well. A list of studies conducted with different chemicals alone or in combination with various biocides to mitigate biogenic souring provides an overview of potential inhibitors as well as possible applications. Furthermore, the results of static and dynamic inhibition tests using molybdate are presented in more detail due to its promising mitigation ability. Finally, a three-step workflow for the risk assessment of biogenic souring and its possible mitigation is presented and discussed.

Keywords: biogenic souring; waterflooding; microbial-enhanced oil recovery; souring mitigation; numerical modeling; mineral scavenging (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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