Uso de bactérias para recuperação avançada de petróleo (meor)
Data
2020-07-10
Autores
Borges, Leonardo Sorence 
Orientadores
Perpetuo, Elen Aquino
Tipo
Trabalho de conclusão de curso
Título da Revista
ISSN da Revista
Título de Volume
Resumo
A exploração mundial de petróleo ocorre de forma intensa no mundo todo, mas as tecnologias atuais conseguem extrair apenas 1/3 do óleo presente nos reservatórios, utilizando as técnicas convencionais. Estima-se que, aproximadamente 300 bilhões de barris de petróleo tenham ficado no subsolo dos Estados Unidos, mesmo após o uso de técnicas avançadas de exploração petrolífera como injeção de água ou gás. Assim, conseguir extrair ainda que uma fração dessas reservas, pode representar um grande aproveitamento econômico, por se tratar de grandes volumes de óleo. No entanto, o papel dos micro-organismos que interagem diretamente com hidrocarbonetos, podendo aumentar o nível de extração, é em sua maioria ignorado ou subestimado em projetos de exploração. Potenciais técnicas de recuperação avançada utilizando MEOR (Microbial Enhancend Oil Recovery) são geralmente suprimidas e escassas, por apresentarem resultados inconclusivos, os quais, geram incertezas de sua confiabilidade e eficiência, pois na pior das hipóteses, coloca-se em risco o reservatório petrolífero. Esse risco, deve-se ao fato da falta de entendimento de como controlar as bactérias que podem ser inseridas no reservatório. O entendimento da atividade microbiana representa um desafio para ciência moderna, pois entender o mundo e as interações entre micro-organismos apresenta diversas dificuldades e traduz-se em entender as condições físico-químicas e nutricionais solicitadas pela cultura no seu desenvolvimento, além de mecanismos genéticos e biomoleculares de sintrofia. Todos esses fatores exibem a complexidade da compreensão das interações microbiana em um meio e a complexidade em dominar as reações bioquímicas adequadas a jazida. Porém, a influência de bactérias nos mais diversos meios terrestres, aquáticos ou em reservatórios no subsolo sempre ocorre, mesmo que ignorada ou incompreendida, mesmo em exploração de reservas naturais de petróleo. Deste modo, fica claro a importância do entendimento das condições de crescimento bacterianas e suas interações, como núcleo fundamental do desenvolvimento da técnica de recuperação avançada. Também a simulação dos efeitos da colonização bacteriana em experimentos de reatores com plugs ou cores de rochas, podem dar uma ideia dos efeitos que podem ocorrer. Para isso, técnicas de cultivo e caracterização de cepas bacterianas benéficas ao processo de exploração petrolífera são essenciais, para que se possam utilizar meios biológicos a fim de recuperar hidrocarbonetos dos reservatórios.
The world exploration of oil occurs intensely in the whole world, but the current technologies manage to extract only 1/3 of the oil present in the reservoirs, using conventional techniques. It is estimated that approximately 300 billion barrels of oil have been left underground in the United States, even after using advanced oil exploration techniques such as water or gas injection. Thus, being able to extract even a fraction of these reserves, can represent a great economic benefit, since it is a large volume of oil. However, the role of microorganisms that interact directly with hydrocarbons, which can increase the level of extraction, is mostly ignored or underestimated in exploration projects. Potential advanced recovery techniques using MEOR (Microbial Enhancend Oil Recovery) are generally suppressed and scarce, as they present inconclusive results, which generate uncertainties in their reliability and efficiency, because in the worst case, the oil reservoir is at risk. This risk is due to the lack of understanding of how to control the bacteria that can be inserted in the reservoir. Understanding microbial activity represents a challenge for modern science, as understanding the world and the interactions between microorganisms presents several difficulties and translates into understanding the physical-chemical and nutritional conditions requested by culture in its development, in addition to genetic mechanisms and biomolecular syntrophy. All of these factors show the complexity of understanding microbial interactions in a medium and the complexity of mastering the appropriate biochemical reactions to the deposit. However, the influence of bacteria in the most diverse terrestrial, aquatic environments or in underground reservoirs always occurs, even if ignored or misunderstood, even in the exploration of natural oil reserves. In this way, it is clear the importance of understanding bacterial growth conditions and their interactions, as a fundamental core of the development of the advanced recovery technique. Also the simulation of the effects of bacterial colonization in reactor experiments with plugs or rock colors, can give an idea of the effects that can occur. For this, cultivation techniques and characterization of bacterial strains beneficial to the oil exploration process are essential, so that biological means can be used in order to recover hydrocarbons from reservoirs.
The world exploration of oil occurs intensely in the whole world, but the current technologies manage to extract only 1/3 of the oil present in the reservoirs, using conventional techniques. It is estimated that approximately 300 billion barrels of oil have been left underground in the United States, even after using advanced oil exploration techniques such as water or gas injection. Thus, being able to extract even a fraction of these reserves, can represent a great economic benefit, since it is a large volume of oil. However, the role of microorganisms that interact directly with hydrocarbons, which can increase the level of extraction, is mostly ignored or underestimated in exploration projects. Potential advanced recovery techniques using MEOR (Microbial Enhancend Oil Recovery) are generally suppressed and scarce, as they present inconclusive results, which generate uncertainties in their reliability and efficiency, because in the worst case, the oil reservoir is at risk. This risk is due to the lack of understanding of how to control the bacteria that can be inserted in the reservoir. Understanding microbial activity represents a challenge for modern science, as understanding the world and the interactions between microorganisms presents several difficulties and translates into understanding the physical-chemical and nutritional conditions requested by culture in its development, in addition to genetic mechanisms and biomolecular syntrophy. All of these factors show the complexity of understanding microbial interactions in a medium and the complexity of mastering the appropriate biochemical reactions to the deposit. However, the influence of bacteria in the most diverse terrestrial, aquatic environments or in underground reservoirs always occurs, even if ignored or misunderstood, even in the exploration of natural oil reserves. In this way, it is clear the importance of understanding bacterial growth conditions and their interactions, as a fundamental core of the development of the advanced recovery technique. Also the simulation of the effects of bacterial colonization in reactor experiments with plugs or rock colors, can give an idea of the effects that can occur. For this, cultivation techniques and characterization of bacterial strains beneficial to the oil exploration process are essential, so that biological means can be used in order to recover hydrocarbons from reservoirs.
Descrição
Citação
BORGES, Leonardo Sorence. Uso de bactérias para recuperação avançada de petróleo (meor). 2020. 63 f. Trabalho de conclusão de curso (Graduação em Engenharia de Petróleo) - Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Santos, 2020.