Evaluation of Oil Displacement by Polysaccharide Fermentation Broth of <i>Athelia rolfsii</i> Under Extreme Reservoir Conditions

In the development of high-temperature and high-salinity oil fields, biopolymer scleroglucan flooding technology faces significant challenges. Traditional scleroglucan products exhibit poor injectability and high extraction costs. This study investigated the application potential of the original fer...

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Main Authors: Haowei Fu, Jianlong Xiu, Lixin Huang, Lina Yi, Yuandong Ma, Sicai Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Molecules
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/13/2861
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author Haowei Fu
Jianlong Xiu
Lixin Huang
Lina Yi
Yuandong Ma
Sicai Wang
author_facet Haowei Fu
Jianlong Xiu
Lixin Huang
Lina Yi
Yuandong Ma
Sicai Wang
author_sort Haowei Fu
collection DOAJ
description In the development of high-temperature and high-salinity oil fields, biopolymer scleroglucan flooding technology faces significant challenges. Traditional scleroglucan products exhibit poor injectability and high extraction costs. This study investigated the application potential of the original fermentation broth of exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by microorganisms in a simulated high-temperature and high-salinity oil reservoir environment. The polysaccharide was identified as scleroglucan through IR and NMR analysis. Its stability and rheological properties were comprehensively evaluated under extreme conditions, including temperatures up to 150 °C, pH levels ranging from 1 to 13, and salinities up to 22 × 10<sup>4</sup> mg/L. The results demonstrated that EPS maintained excellent viscosity and stability, particularly at 76.6 °C and 22 × 10<sup>4</sup> mg/L salinity, where its viscosity remained above 80% for 35 days. This highlights its significant viscoelasticity and stability in high-temperature and high-salinity oil reservoirs. Additionally, this study, for the first time, examined the rheological properties of the original fermentation broth of scleroglucan, specifically assessing its injectability and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) performance in a simulated Middle Eastern high-temperature, high-salinity, medium-low permeability reservoir environment. The findings revealed an effective EOR exceeding 15%, confirming the feasibility of using the original fermentation broth as a biopolymer for enhancing oil recovery in extreme reservoir conditions. Based on these experimental results, it is concluded that the original fermentation broth of <i>Athelia rolfsii</i> exhibits superior performance under high-temperature and high-salinity conditions in medium–low permeability reservoirs, offering a promising strategy for future biopolymer flooding in oil field development.
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spelling doaj-art-99804c35c93449b0a42e7f60f782ba702025-08-20T03:28:33ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492025-07-013013286110.3390/molecules30132861Evaluation of Oil Displacement by Polysaccharide Fermentation Broth of <i>Athelia rolfsii</i> Under Extreme Reservoir ConditionsHaowei Fu0Jianlong Xiu1Lixin Huang2Lina Yi3Yuandong Ma4Sicai Wang5School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaInstitute of Porous Flow and Fluid Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Langfang 065007, ChinaInstitute of Porous Flow and Fluid Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Langfang 065007, ChinaNational Key Laboratory of Enhanced Oil and Gas Recovery, PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, Beijing 100083, ChinaNational Key Laboratory of Enhanced Oil and Gas Recovery, PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, Beijing 100083, ChinaSchool of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaIn the development of high-temperature and high-salinity oil fields, biopolymer scleroglucan flooding technology faces significant challenges. Traditional scleroglucan products exhibit poor injectability and high extraction costs. This study investigated the application potential of the original fermentation broth of exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by microorganisms in a simulated high-temperature and high-salinity oil reservoir environment. The polysaccharide was identified as scleroglucan through IR and NMR analysis. Its stability and rheological properties were comprehensively evaluated under extreme conditions, including temperatures up to 150 °C, pH levels ranging from 1 to 13, and salinities up to 22 × 10<sup>4</sup> mg/L. The results demonstrated that EPS maintained excellent viscosity and stability, particularly at 76.6 °C and 22 × 10<sup>4</sup> mg/L salinity, where its viscosity remained above 80% for 35 days. This highlights its significant viscoelasticity and stability in high-temperature and high-salinity oil reservoirs. Additionally, this study, for the first time, examined the rheological properties of the original fermentation broth of scleroglucan, specifically assessing its injectability and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) performance in a simulated Middle Eastern high-temperature, high-salinity, medium-low permeability reservoir environment. The findings revealed an effective EOR exceeding 15%, confirming the feasibility of using the original fermentation broth as a biopolymer for enhancing oil recovery in extreme reservoir conditions. Based on these experimental results, it is concluded that the original fermentation broth of <i>Athelia rolfsii</i> exhibits superior performance under high-temperature and high-salinity conditions in medium–low permeability reservoirs, offering a promising strategy for future biopolymer flooding in oil field development.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/13/2861polymer floodingviscoelasticityextreme reservoirenhanced oil recoverymicrobial oil recovery
spellingShingle Haowei Fu
Jianlong Xiu
Lixin Huang
Lina Yi
Yuandong Ma
Sicai Wang
Evaluation of Oil Displacement by Polysaccharide Fermentation Broth of <i>Athelia rolfsii</i> Under Extreme Reservoir Conditions
Molecules
polymer flooding
viscoelasticity
extreme reservoir
enhanced oil recovery
microbial oil recovery
title Evaluation of Oil Displacement by Polysaccharide Fermentation Broth of <i>Athelia rolfsii</i> Under Extreme Reservoir Conditions
title_full Evaluation of Oil Displacement by Polysaccharide Fermentation Broth of <i>Athelia rolfsii</i> Under Extreme Reservoir Conditions
title_fullStr Evaluation of Oil Displacement by Polysaccharide Fermentation Broth of <i>Athelia rolfsii</i> Under Extreme Reservoir Conditions
title_full_unstemmed Evaluation of Oil Displacement by Polysaccharide Fermentation Broth of <i>Athelia rolfsii</i> Under Extreme Reservoir Conditions
title_short Evaluation of Oil Displacement by Polysaccharide Fermentation Broth of <i>Athelia rolfsii</i> Under Extreme Reservoir Conditions
title_sort evaluation of oil displacement by polysaccharide fermentation broth of i athelia rolfsii i under extreme reservoir conditions
topic polymer flooding
viscoelasticity
extreme reservoir
enhanced oil recovery
microbial oil recovery
url https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/13/2861
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