LEMIGAS develops microbe to enhance oil recovery<\/p>\n
By Johannes Simbolon<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The state-owned Research and Development for Oil
\nand Gas Technology (LEMIGAS) has been developing technology using
\nmicrobes to enhance oil recovery in the country's oil fields.<\/p>\n
The agency recently reached a milestone in its venture by
\ncompleting a five-year laboratory research which proves the use
\nof microbes to enhance oil recovery.<\/p>\n
Head of LEMIGAS' research and development office, Evita
\nLegowo, said recently the laboratory study indicated that the use
\nof microbes could enhance recovery factors in oil fields by
\nbetween 50 percent and 100 percent.<\/p>\n
\"But, we have yet to stage some field tests to justify the
\nconclusion,\" Evita said.<\/p>\n
She added that the agency has plans to carry out some field
\ntests at the state oil and gas company Pertamina's oil field in
\nPrabumulih, South Sumatra, in the near future. Unocal Indonesia
\nLtd, a subsidiary of the U.S. giant energy company Unocal Corp,
\nhas also shown interest in \"participating\" in the field test.<\/p>\n
The laboratory research for the Microbial Enhance Oil Recovery
\n(MEOR) technology began in August 1993 with two grants,
\nUS$450,000 and Rp 950 million ($86,000), from Pertamina.<\/p>\n
Pertamina's exploration and production director, Priyambodo
\nMulyosudirjo, said the agency's achievement was expected to give
\nan alternative for the government to increase the country's oil
\nproduction amid the current scarcity of new oil discoveries.<\/p>\n
\"We really appreciate the agency's achievement,\" Priyambodo
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
International consultant Wood McKenzie predicted in 1995 that
\nthe country would turn from being a net oil exporter to net oil
\nimporter by 2008 due to a dwindling reservoir of existing oil
\nfields and the scarcity of oil discoveries over the past decade.<\/p>\n
Currently, the country produces 1.5 million barrels per day
\n(bpd) of crude oil but consumes about 700,000 bpd. According to
\nMcKenzie, the country's oil output will drop to 1.2 million bpd
\nin 2008, less than the then national consumption.<\/p>\n
Some analysts predict Indonesia will remain a net oil exporter
\nlonger than McKenzie has predicted but all agree that Indonesia
\nwill not be able to rely on its oil resource for long.<\/p>\n
EOR<\/p>\n
Evita said oil companies can only recover between 15 percent
\nand 20 percent of oil reserves if they only rely on the pressure
\ninside oil wells to push oil to the surface.<\/p>\n
They can increase the oil recovery rate to between 20 percent
\nand 35 percent by injecting hot water into the wells to add
\npressure to push the oil to the surface. This is called secondary
\nenhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology.<\/p>\n
But, a large percentage of oil reserves still cannot be bought
\nto the surface due to several factors, including the fact that
\nthey are too viscous or trapped in the reservoir rock.<\/p>\n
Evita said experts have developed an advanced EOR technology
\nto lower oil viscosity and loosen the attachment of oil to rock.
\nThis tertiary EOR technology could increase the oil recovery rate
\nto between 35 percent and 50 percent.<\/p>\n
Tertiary EOR technology is carried out by injecting steam or
\nchemicals into wells or using microbes.<\/p>\n
Evita said that at present, the most popular technique of all
\ntertiary EOR technologies is the one using steam injection, while
\nthe one using chemical injection is considered too expensive and
\nenvironmentally unfriendly.<\/p>\n
The country's largest oil producer, Caltex Pacific Indonesia,
\nwhich is jointly owned by the United States oil companies Chevron
\nand Texaco, has been using the steam injection technique at its
\nDuri oil field in Riau.<\/p>\n
Evita noted, however, that the MEOR has been growing more
\npopular today since it is considered cheaper and environmentally
\nmore friendly.<\/p>\n
Under the MEOR system, Evita said, oil companies use microbes
\nto produce bioproducts, including biosurfactants, biopolymer,
\nbioacid and biosolvents which chemically reduce oil viscosity and
\nrelease oil from the reservoir rocks, and, as such, facilitate
\nthe flow of oil to the surface.<\/p>\n
Evita said LEMIGAS once imported microbes that were used by
\noil companies in the United States for its research but the
\nmicrobes could not survive on the type of nutrition consumed by
\nlocal microbes.<\/p>\n
\"Each microbe can apparently only survive in its own
\nenvironment. The U.S. microbes might be more familiar with cheese
\nso that they quickly died when we give them tempeh,\" Evita joked.<\/p>\n
After failing to develop research on imported microbes,
\nLEMIGAS turned its focus on microbes which were discovered in
\nlocal oil fields.<\/p>\n
\"We found that some microbes exist and grow well in oil wells
\nat a certain temperature and depth. We then thought how to make
\nthe microbes proliferate and industriously produce the
\nbioproducts which are needed to release oil from the reservoir
\nrock,\" Evita said.<\/p>\n
Evita said LEMIGAS has managed to develop a type of nutrition
\nwhich can boost the proliferation of microbes and increase the
\nproduction of their bioproducts. She would not reveal the
\nnutrition.<\/p>\n
\"Pertamina and LEMIGAS hold the patent of the formula of the
\nnutrition,\" Priyambodo said.<\/p>\n
Priyambodo said Pertamina had yet to calculate the investment
\nneeded for an oil company to install MEOR technology.<\/p>\n
The government has given some incentives for contractors to
\ndevelop oil resources in marginal, frontier and tertiary EOR
\nfields because oil discoveries have been rarely made in the
\nconventional areas over the past decade.<\/p>\n
The incentives include, among others, that the government
\ntakes 75 percent of oil output from the development of tertiary
\nEOR, marginal and deepwater areas, leaving the remainder to
\ncontractors. In conventional areas, the government take 85
\npercent of oil output.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lemigas-develops-microbe-to-enhance-oil-recovery-1447893297",
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