Exploring the use of microbial enhanced oil recovery in Kazakhstan: a review.

Microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) is a promising method for improving oil recovery from challenging reservoirs such as those found in Kazakhstan. MEOR relies on the activities of microorganisms to modify the properties of the reservoir, such as reducing the oil viscosity, increasing the reservoir permeability, and generating by-products that mobilize the oil. Implementing MEOR in Kazakhstan could lead to significant economic benefits for the country by increasing oil production and royalties from fossil fuel exports.

Biosurfactant and biopolymer producing microorganisms from West Kazakhstan oilfield.

Microbiological enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) uses indigenous or exogenous microorganisms and nutrients to enhance oil production through synthesis of metabolites reducing oil viscosity and surface tension. In order to find bacteria suitable for MEOR, we studied 26 isolates from wells in the Akingen oilfield in West Kazakhstan. Six of them were selected for further analysis based on their ability to reduce surface tension to less than 40 mN/m, with the A9 isolate exhibiting tension reduction values of 32.