微生物攻法(MEOR)研究の現状と展望

―技術開発の将来展望と課題―

抄録

Rising oil prices brings a serious risk to the global economy. There is no doubt that expanding the voluntary development of oil reservoir will be required under these circumstances.
On this background, applying a Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) technique to high oil saturation reservoirs which hold the promise and profitability for the higher recovery of oil becomes more important for the establishment of MEOR technique as a most effective technology. Moreover, expanding MEOR applicability to various reservoir conditions, such as ultra-high temperature and ultra-low permeability, will also become critical assignments.
For the prospect of methodology of MEOR, applying anaerobic heterotrophic bacteria and autotrophic bacteria which can use low cost materials as an energy source existing in reservoirs, such as hydrocarbon and inorganic salt, will get to hold a great promise. Some genetically modified bacteria may also become actively usage for MEOR process in near future.
The fundamental assignment for the MEOR technology is to overcome the issue of regulating microbes based on the results of some investigations, namely, diversity and distribution of microbes related to MEOR process, and their function on the MEOR effect using nutrients injected into the reservoir. The JOGMEC TRC-Jilin Oil Corp. international joint-research also reported previously clarified the following assignments on regulating microbes for field operation : selecting method of microbial function for MEOR, sterilization technique of surface facility, injection techniques of microbes, nutrients and additives, and transplanting target microbes into the formation where needed.
As a conclusion, the biotechnology and microbiology which affect the development of oil/gas reservoir will be able to provide originality aspects to break through the numerous issues involved in EOR/IOR.