Experimental investigation of microbially induced carbonate precipitation in sandstone cores under in-situ North Sea temperature and pressure conditions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Steinacher ◽  
Dr Arianna G. Pagano ◽  
Dr Gráinne El Mountassir ◽  
Dr James M. Minto ◽  
Prof Rebecca J. Lunn
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Exposure Time ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Carbonate Precipitation ◽  
Temperature Conditions ◽  
Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation ◽  
Temperature And Pressure ◽  
Subsurface Temperatures

<p>Bio-grouting using ureolytic microorganisms has been developed over the past decade for civil engineering applications including: (i) sealing fractures in rock, (ii) sealing cracks in cement, (iii) reducing the permeability of porous media  and (iv) soil stabilisation and (v) repair of concrete and stone. This study investigates the potential application of microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) within the oil and gas industry. To deploy MICP in a well abandonment context a more in-depth knowledge of the influence and performance under elevated subsurface pressures and temperatures is required.</p><p>Batch experiments investigated the ureolytic activity at subsurface temperatures ranging from 20-90°C and fluid pressures from 1-13MPa for up to 2hrs exposure time. Strong evidence of increased ureolytic activity was observed in specimens at temperatures of 60°C and above, but with increasing exposure time ureolytic activity ceased. In comparison increased fluid pressures had little influence on ureolytic activity. Our results imply that the bacterial cell protects the enzyme from denaturation at elevated temperature conditions.</p><p>A second set of experiments consisted of multiple injections of the treatment fluids in a fine-grained sandstone sampled from the Brent sandstone formation of the Dunlin oilfield in the North Sea. With a focus on simulating the in-situ environmental conditions, we set-up a high pressure high temperature system consisting of a HPLC pump, water bath, Hassler core-holder with pressure capabilities of up to 2400psi and a temperature rating of 90°C with high sensitivity pressure transducers and a backpressure regulator. The cores were exposed to realistic North Sea subsurface temperatures of 20, 50, 60°C and fluid pressures of 442, 1326, 1621psi according to their corresponding depths: at 1000ft, 3000ft and 3667ft.</p><p>The study investigated the influence of the pressure and temperature conditions on (i) permeability reduction, (ii) distribution of CaCO<sub>3</sub> precipitates via X-CT imaging and (iii) mineralogy via FE-EPMA coupled with EDX/WDX spectroscopy.</p><p>Permeability reductions in the coarse-grained sandstones of 5 orders of magnitude were achieved in all the subsurface temperature-pressure combinations tests. Micro xCT scans indicate that CaCO<sub>3</sub> precipitation occurred closer to the inlet as the temperature and pressure increased, due in part to the higher ureolytic activity at higher temperatures and the lower solubility of CaCO<sub>3</sub> at higher temperatures. At elevated pressure and temperature conditions the energy barrier to transform from a calcite dominated system could be overcome and formed predominantly aragonite.</p><p>This study has demonstrated the potential for deploying MICP at subsurface conditions in oil and gas applications. The biotechnology itself could be used to seal off reservoir formations in mature oil and gas assets, repair fluid migration pathways or act as an environmental wellbore barrier element and therefore could ultimately reduce the number of well barriers required to be installed during plugging and abandonment.</p>

scholarly journals Sand Solidification through Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation for Erosion Control: Prospects in Bangladesh

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-61
Author(s):  
MNH Khan ◽  
S Kawasaki ◽  
MR Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Erosion Control ◽  
Precipitation Method ◽  
Carbonate Precipitation ◽  
Stiffness Properties ◽  
Microbial Carbonate ◽  
Microbial Carbonate Precipitation ◽  
Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation ◽  
Strength And Stiffness ◽  
Ureolytic Bacteria

Bio-cementation is a sand consolidation technology, in which ureolytic bacteria release carbonate from urea hydrolysis in the presence of an excess of calcium ions to form calcite (CaCO3) in-situ. Biocementation is to enhance the strength and stiffness properties of soil and rocks though microbial activity or products. This paper addressed the prospect of microbial carbonate precipitation for erosion control in Bangladesh. Bacterial CaCO3 precipitation under appropriate conditions is a general phenomenon where the ureolytic bacteria uses urea as an energy source and produces ammonia which increases the pH in the environment and generates carbonate, causing Ca2+ and CO32- to be precipitated as CaCO3. This CaCO3 join sand particles and forms rocklike materials that auto-repairs by means of sunlight, seawater, and bacteria as microbially induced carbonate precipitation method. These rock particles when produced artificially is called artificial rock and has the potentiality to protect coastlines from erosion.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 9(1): 59-61 2016

Commercial fisheries interactions with oil and gas pipelines in the North Sea: considerations for decommissioning

2017 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 279-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Rouse ◽  
Andronikos Kafas ◽  
Rui Catarino ◽  
Hayes Peter
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Commercial Fisheries ◽  
Physical Interaction ◽  
Fishing Gear ◽  
Fishing Activity ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea

Abstract Commercial fisheries and oil and gas extraction are both spatially extensive industries in the North Sea (NS), and inevitably there is physical interaction where the two activities coincide. Regular contact between fishing gear and pipelines may risk pipeline integrity and could lead to gear snagging. It is also known, anecdotally, that some vessels target pipelines, potentially benefiting from local artificial reef effects. The impacts of pipeline decommissioning options (removal vs. in situ) on commercial fisheries must be evaluated as part of the consenting process, but the degree of interaction between the two is presently unknown in the NS. Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) data for the Scottish demersal fleet were analysed with spatial data on pipelines. Approximately one-third (36.1%) of trips fished within 200 m of a pipeline over a 5-year period, suggesting that pipelines are subjected to regular interaction with fishing gear. The fishing effort (in hours) associated with pipelines was 2.52% of the total effort, compared to 1.33% in an equivalent area of seabed 1 km away, implying modest aggregation of fishing around pipelines. Only a small percentage (0.93%) of fishing trips actively targeted pipelines as fishing grounds. The highest level of fishing around pipelines occurred in the northeast NS. Pipeline sections with >100 h of fishing were typically larger diameter pipelines. The results suggest that pipeline decommissioning may have both negative (displacement of aggregated effort) and positive (reduced snagging potential) outcomes for commercial fisheries. It is recommended that where there is little or no fishing activity associated with pipelines, receptors other than fishing should be prioritized when selecting decommissioning strategies. Additionally, the intensity of fishing around pipelines should be used to inform the frequency of post-decommissioning integrity monitoring for any pipelines left in situ.

scholarly journals A Low-Tech Bioreactor System for the Enrichment and Production of Ureolytic Microbes

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masataka Aoki ◽  
Takuya Noma ◽  
Hiroshi Yonemitsu ◽  
Nobuo Araki ◽  
Takashi Yamaguchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
In Situ Hybridization ◽  
Urease Activity ◽  
Enrichment Culture ◽  
Carbonate Precipitation ◽  
Biotechnological Applications ◽  
Calcium Carbonate Precipitation ◽  
Bioreactor System ◽  
Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation

Ureolysis-driven microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) has recently received attention for its potential biotechnological applications. However, information on the enrichment and production of ureolytic microbes by using bioreactor systems is limited. Here, we report a low-tech down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) bioreactor system for the enrichment and production of ureolytic microbes. Using this bioreactor system and a yeast extract-based medium containing 0.17 M urea, ureolytic microbes with high potential urease activity (> 10 μmol urea hydrolyzed per min per ml of enrichment culture) were repeatedly enriched under non-sterile conditions. In addition, the ureolytic enrichment obtained in this study showed in vitro calcium carbonate precipitation. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis showed the existence of bacteria of the phylum Firmicutes in the bioreactor system. Our data demonstrate that this DHS bioreactor system is a useful system for the enrichment and production of ureolytic microbes for MICP applications.

scholarly journals Cyclic Subcritical Water Injection into Bazhenov Oil Shale: Geochemical and Petrophysical Properties Evolution Due to Hydrothermal Exposure

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4570
Author(s):  
Aman Turakhanov ◽  
Albina Tsyshkova ◽  
Elena Mukhina ◽  
Evgeny Popov ◽  
Darya Kalacheva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Demand ◽  
Oil Shale ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Subcritical Water ◽  
Pore Space ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Microstructural Properties ◽  
Gas Generation ◽  
Geochemical Parameters

In situ shale or kerogen oil production is a promising approach to developing vast oil shale resources and increasing world energy demand. In this study, cyclic subcritical water injection in oil shale was investigated in laboratory conditions as a method for in situ oil shale retorting. Fifteen non-extracted oil shale samples from Bazhenov Formation in Russia (98 °C and 23.5 MPa reservoir conditions) were hydrothermally treated at 350 °C and in a 25 MPa semi-open system during 50 h in the cyclic regime. The influence of the artificial maturation on geochemical parameters, elastic and microstructural properties was studied. Rock-Eval pyrolysis of non-extracted and extracted oil shale samples before and after hydrothermal exposure and SARA analysis were employed to analyze bitumen and kerogen transformation to mobile hydrocarbons and immobile char. X-ray computed microtomography (XMT) was performed to characterize the microstructural properties of pore space. The results demonstrated significant porosity, specific pore surface area increase, and the appearance of microfractures in organic-rich layers. Acoustic measurements were carried out to estimate the alteration of elastic properties due to hydrothermal treatment. Both Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio decreased due to kerogen transformation to heavy oil and bitumen, which remain trapped before further oil and gas generation, and expulsion occurs. Ultimately, a developed kinetic model was applied to match kerogen and bitumen transformation with liquid and gas hydrocarbons production. The nonlinear least-squares optimization problem was solved during the integration of the system of differential equations to match produced hydrocarbons with pyrolysis derived kerogen and bitumen decomposition.

scholarly journals Investigations of polyethylene of raised temperature resistance service performance using autoclave test under sour medium conditions

e-Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 346-354
Author(s):  
Guoquan Qi ◽  
Hongxia Yan ◽  
Dongtao Qi ◽  
Houbu Li ◽  
Lushi Kong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Mechanical Performance ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Service Performance ◽  
Degree Of Branching ◽  
Temperature Resistance ◽  
Temperature Conditions ◽  
Dimensional Network ◽  
Gas Medium ◽  
Better Than

Abstract The chapter deals with the performance evaluation of the polyethylene of raised temperature resistance (PE-RT) and polyethylene (PE) using autoclave test under sour oil and gas medium conditions. The analyses of performance changes showed that PE-RT has good media resistance at 60°C. As the temperature increases, its mechanical properties decrease, accompanied by an increase in weight. Comparative analyses showed that no matter what temperature conditions are, PE-RT media resistance is better than PE80. The better media resistance of PE-RT depends on its higher degree of branching. Short branches are distributed between the crystals to form a connection between the crystals, thereby improving its heat resistance and stress under high-temperature conditions. PE-RT forms an excellent three-dimensional network structure through copolymerization, ensuring that it has better media resistance than PE80. However, the mechanical performance will be attenuated due to the high service temperature.

scholarly journals The role of bacterial urease activity on the uniformity of carbonate precipitation profiles of bio-treated coarse sand specimens

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charalampos Konstantinou ◽  
Yuze Wang ◽  
Giovanna Biscontin ◽  
Kenichi Soga
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Carbonate ◽  
Calcium Chloride ◽  
Urease Activity ◽  
Coarse Sand ◽  
Carbonate Precipitation ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Carbonate Cements ◽  
Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation

AbstractProtocols for microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) have been extensively studied in the literature to optimise the process with regard to the amount of injected chemicals, the ratio of urea to calcium chloride, the method of injection and injection intervals, and the population of the bacteria, usually using fine- to medium-grained poorly graded sands. This study assesses the effect of varying urease activities, which have not been studied systematically, and population densities of the bacteria on the uniformity of cementation in very coarse sands (considered poor candidates for treatment). A procedure for producing bacteria with the desired urease activities was developed and qPCR tests were conducted to measure the counts of the RNA of the Ure-C genes. Sand biocementaton experiments followed, showing that slower rates of MICP reactions promote more effective and uniform cementation. Lowering urease activity, in particular, results in progressively more uniformly cemented samples and it is proven to be effective enough when its value is less than 10 mmol/L/h. The work presented highlights the importance of urease activity in controlling the quality and quantity of calcium carbonate cements.

scholarly journals A sample cell for the study of enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation at the grain-scale and its implications for biocementation

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Zehner ◽  
Anja Røyne ◽  
Pawel Sikorski
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Laser Scanning Microscopy ◽  
In Situ Monitoring ◽  
Confocal Laser ◽  
Precipitation Process ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Detailed Knowledge ◽  
Carbonate Precipitation ◽  
Sample Cell

AbstractBiocementation is commonly based on microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) or enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP), where biomineralization of $$\text {CaCO}_{3}$$ CaCO 3 in a granular medium is used to produce a sustainable, consolidated porous material. The successful implementation of biocementation in large-scale applications requires detailed knowledge about the micro-scale processes of $$\text {CaCO}_{3}$$ CaCO 3 precipitation and grain consolidation. For this purpose, we present a microscopy sample cell that enables real time and in situ observations of the precipitation of $$\text {CaCO}_{3}$$ CaCO 3 in the presence of sand grains and calcite seeds. In this study, the sample cell is used in combination with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) which allows the monitoring in situ of local pH during the reaction. The sample cell can be disassembled at the end of the experiment, so that the precipitated crystals can be characterized with Raman microspectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) without disturbing the sample. The combination of the real time and in situ monitoring of the precipitation process with the possibility to characterize the precipitated crystals without further sample processing, offers a powerful tool for knowledge-based improvements of biocementation.

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