An Overview of Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery in Nigeria

Abstract The use of microbial metabolites by interfacial tension reduction and wettability alteration mechanisms, for improved oil recovery from oil reservoirs, especially in mature oil fields have always been advocated for as a cheaper and environmentally-safe method of increasing oil production. Although microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) in some advanced nations have come close to commercial applications, Nigeria is yet to venture into the microbial enhancement of oil recovery. Nigeria as a nation has had its fair share of the global dilemma of decreased oil production caused by unrecovered oil in oil reserves, resulting in adverse effects on its economy energy status. Uncertainties on the efficiency of MEOR in practical reservoirs, failure of petroleum engineers and scientists to form multidisciplinary teams, and lack of adequate understanding of MEOR processes are some factors that have slowed down the process of adopting MEOR as an alternative to other enhanced oil recovery methods in Nigeria. Other significant factors include, lack of appropriate microbial mechanisms for the success of MEOR applications; various in situ and ex situ laboratory and field trials experiments on effectiveness of high-strength biosurfactants, in microbial enhanced oil recovery, best interfacial tension reduction and wettability alteration mechanisms, novel sets of core flooding tests, with potential indigenous and control microbial consortium, for optimal oil recovery efficiency; adsorption of microbial cells and biofilm formation for inductive MEOR, towards wettability alteration of reservoir rock for production of neutrally wet condition, for the improvement of oil recovery efficiency; modified advantageous quorum-sensing and behavioural diversity of potential MEOR-applicable microbes, as well as, genetic modification of selected safe and environmental-friendly candidates. In addition to economic, health and environmental issues that still linger, and call for urgent attention, a general overview of microbial enhanced oil recovery in Nigeria comprising of the mechanisms of oil recovery by MEOR, factors hindering its implementation in Nigeria and the need for MEOR laboratory and field trials to be performed in order to determine the viability of the process in Nigeria is pertinent in order to provide a lasting solution to decreasing oil production.