A four-year BioRec project is focused around behavior and effects of microorganisms in reservoir engineering: Enhanced oil recovery (EOR), hydrate formation and inhibition, and bio-induced corrosion. The goal of the specific subproject is a highly focused investigation of the possible recovery mechanisms of Bio-EOR under conditions of the Danish North Sea reservoirs.
Application of the modern oil recovery methods never leads to complete recovery. Production of few ten percent is often considered to be a success. Can oil recovery be increased by the application of microorganisms and/or enzymes – protein catalysts from living systems? A positive answer would provide the opportunity to produce more oil in a relatively cheap and environmentally safe way.
The task of the PhD student
The tasks of the PhD students will be to carry out a series of laboratory experiments by displacement of oil by water containing bacteria and/or enzymes; and advanced mathematical modeling of the displacement processes under realistic reservoir conditions. Selection of the samples and bio-agents will be carried out in collaboration with industrial partners: Mærsk Oil & Gas, DONG Energy, Novozymes, and Danish Technological Institute.
The students are expected to exhibit creativity, openness to new challenges and interest to independent and nontrivial research.
Required skills
* A degree (M.Sc.) in chemical or petroleum engineering, technical physics, other relevant areas;
* Knowledge of the fundamentals of flows and fluid distribution in porous media;
* Good writing skills in English;
* Interest to independent research;
* Laboratory skills;
* Skills in mathematics, physics and programming;
Scholarship Application Deadline: 15 March 2011
