A process for microbially enhanced oil recovery.
Most crude oil is recovered from geological formations through a pumping process.
When the level of oil drops, however, pumping becomes difficult and unproductive. In these cases, secondary methods such as water flooding are used to recover the oil. To improve the yields from these secondary methods, oil releasing bacterial are employed. This invention relates to the preparation of modified organisms that are viable in the extreme temperature, pressure, and ph conditions and salt concentrations of an oil reservoir. The microorganisms are used to enhance oil recovery.