Claims
- 1. A method for treating a composition comprising one or more alkanes to enhance volume of the composition, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) introducing into a composition one or more microorganisms selected from the group consisting of aerobic microorganisms, facultative microorganisms, and combinations thereof, thereby forming an intermediate composition; (b) introducing one or more anaerobic microorganisms into the intermediate composition to form a second composition; and; (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) at least once.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) is performed at least three days prior to step (b).
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) includes introducing capsulated anaerobic microorganisms.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein steps (a) and (b) include introducing an effective amount of microorganisms to biocrack long chain (n)-alkanes by cyclically alternating carboxylation and decarboxylation.
- 5. A method for treating a composition comprising alkanes to enhance volume of the composition, comprising introducing an effective amount of microorganisms into the crude oil to alternately carboxylate and decarboxylate the crude for at least two cycles such that crude volume increases at least 5%.
- 6. The method of claim 5 that includes achieving a volume increase of at least 10%.
- 7. The method of claim 5 that includes achieving a volume increase of at least 15%.
- 8. The method of claim 1 that includes introducing a nutrient base into the composition.
- 9. The method of claim 1 that includes introducing a nutrient base into the composition in conjunction with step (a).
- 10. The method of claim 1 that includes adding at least one of nitrate, nitrite and molybdenum salt into the composition.
- 11. The method of claim 1 that includes adding a biocatalyst to the composition.
- 12. The method of claim 10 that includes adding at least one of nitrate, nitrite and molybdenum salt in a step separate to step (a).
- 13. The method of claim 11 that includes adding a biocatalyst in a step separate to step (a).
- 14. The method of claim 1 that includes adding an oxygen scavenger to the composition.
- 15. The method of claim 14 wherein adding said oxygen scavenger occurs prior to step (b).
- 16. The method of claim 14 wherein adding said oxygen scavenger occurs after step (a).
- 17. The method of claim 1 that includes introducing both anaerobic microorganisms to the intermediate composition and stimulating indigenous anaerobic microorganisms.
- 18. The method of claim 1 that includes introducing both aerobic and facultative microorganisms into the composition.
- 19. The method of claim 1 that includes adding a coenzyme selected from the group consisting of F420 and F 430.
- 20. The method of claim 19 that includes adding both coenzymes F 420 and F 430.
- 21. The method of claim 19 that includes adding at least one of coenzymes F 420 and F 430 in conjunction with step (b).
- 22. The method of claim 2 that includes shutting in a well at least one day and then producing the well at least three days between step (a) and step (b).
- 23. The method of claim 22 that includes shutting in the well at least hours and producing the well for over a week subsequent to step (b) and prior to repeating step (a).
- 24. A method for treating a crude oil to enhance volume of the crude oil, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) introducing into a crude oil one or more microorganisms selected from the group consisting of aerobic microorganisms, facultative microorganisms, and combinations thereof, thereby forming an intermediate crude oil; (b) introducing one or more anaerobic microorganisms into the intermediate crude oil to form a second crude oil; and; (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) at least once.
- 25. The method of claim 24 wherein step (a) is performed at least three days prior to step (b).
- 26. The method of claim 24 wherein step (b) includes introducing capsulated anaerobic microorganisms.
- 27. The method of claim 24 wherein steps (a) and (b) include introducing an effective amount of microorganisms to biocrack long chain (n)-alkanes by cyclically alternating carboxylation and decarboxylation.
- 28. A method for treating crude oil to enhance volume, comprising:
introducing an effective amount of microorganisms into the crude oil to alternately carboxylate and decarboxylate the crude for at least two cycles such that crude volume increases at least 5%.
- 29. The method of claim 28 that includes achieving a volume increase of at least 10%.
- 30. The method of claim 28 that includes achieving a volume increase of at least 15%.
- 31. The method of claim 24 that includes introducing a nutrient base into the crude oil.
- 32. The method of claim 24 that includes introducing a nutrient base into the crude oil in conjunction with step (a).
- 33. The method of claim 24 that includes adding at least one of nitrate, nitrite and molybdenum salt into the crude oil.
- 34. The method of claim 24 that includes adding a biocatalyst to the crude oil.
- 35. The method of claim 34 that includes adding at least one of nitrate, nitrite and molybdenum salt in a step separate to step (a).
- 36. The method of claim 35 that includes adding a biocatalyst in a step separate to step (a).
- 37. The method of claim 24 that includes adding an oxygen scavenger to the crude oil.
- 38. The method of claim 37 wherein adding said oxygen scavenger occurs prior to step (b).
- 39. The method of claim 37 wherein adding said oxygen scavenger occurs after step (a).
- 40. The method of claim 24 that includes introducing both anaerobic microorganisms to the intermediate crude oil and stimulating indigenous anaerobic microorganisms.
- 41. The method of claim 24 that includes introducing both aerobic and facultative microorganisms into the crude oil.
- 42. The method of claim 24 that includes adding a coenzyme selected from the group consisting of F420 and F 430.
- 43. The method of claim 42 that includes adding both coenzymes F 420 and F 430.
- 44. The method of claim 42 that includes adding at least one of coenzymes F 420 and F 430 in conjunction with step (b).
- 45. The method of claim 25 that includes shutting in a well at least one day and then producing the well at least three days between step (a) and step (b).
- 46 The method of claim 45 that includes shutting in the well at least hours and producing the well for over a week subsequent to step (b) and prior to repeating step (a).
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to copending provisional application Ser. No. 60/249,926, filed Nov. 17, 2000, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60249926 |
Nov 2000 |
US |