5 Reasons Why Microbes Outperform Chemicals in Saltwater Disposals and Waterfloods
Microbes are a powerful solution in fighting corrosion, enhancing oil recovery and more. Here are five reasons why they outperform traditional chemical solutions:
1. Microbes Naturally Remove oxygen in the system
- Facultative anaerobic, meaning they grow/survive in both presence/absence of oxygen
- Oxygen scavengers used by chemical companies are worse, man-made versions of natural microbe properties
- Oxygen is a catalyst for corrosion, so the goal is to remove as much as possible
2. Removes and Prevents Under Deposit Corrosion
- Natural microbe byproducts, remove scale, iron sulfide, hydrocarbons, and more
- Chemicals cannot do this on their own - it requires acidizing or mechanical removal
- Microbes produce a polysaccharide film on surfaces, preventing corrosion and leaks and extending
3. Promotes Separation of oil and water
- Separate solids from oil and reduce interfacial tension
- Reduced oil carryover, provides more sellable oil and boosts well injectivity
- Microbes strip hydrocarbons off solids and then dissolve the solids allowing the oil to separate
4. Colonizing vs. Parts per million (pPM)
- Microbes set up a colony throughout the system by reproduction
- Chemicals work in ppm, and operators must set up a pump to maintain the correct ppm and strength
- Microbes are always at full strength and evenly dispersed
5. Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
- Chemicals are restricted to where water flows and cannot move independently
- Microbes move on their own, reaching places chemicals can't
- They break tension there and release residual oil in an extremely cost-effective process
All of our microbial solutions are 100% safe for land, water, air, and life. We hope to play our role effectively in leading the industry in sustainable development and environmentally stewardship efforts.