Introduction to Petroleum Biotechnology

The term petroleum biotechnology in the context of this book refers to the implementation of biological processes in the oil industry to explore, produce, and transform petroleum into valuable derivatives. Environmental biotechnology utilizes the biochemical potential of microorganisms and plants for the preservation and restoration of the environment. Biotechnology has played a significant role in the transformation (biotransformation) of petroleum constituents and petroleum products after spills. The technology also moved into the realm of petroleum oil recovery from depleted reservoirs as a means of solving the problem of stagnant petroleum production,after a three-stage recovery process employing mechanical, physical, and chemical methods of recovery. Biotechnologically enhanced oil recovery process, known as microbial enhanced oil recovery(MEOR), involves stimulating indigenous reservoir microbes or injecting specially selected consortia of natural bacteria into the reservoir to produce specific metabolic events (biotransformations) that lead to improved oil recovery.