Enzymes for Extraction in Oil Fields

Enzymes for Extraction in Oil Fields

Deoiled cakes of all seed oil and xanthan gum filter cakes contain a lot of starch molecules. These can be easily degraded by Amylases at high temperatures. Cellulases and Mannanases are also applied to remove Cellulose and Mannan from the deoiled seed filter cakes.

Interestingly, filter cake removal is an important step concerning both production and injection in petroleum wells, mainly concerning horizontal completion. The drilling fluids are typically comprised of starch, the most important component of the filter cake. A common approach to remove this filter cake is the use of acid solutions. However, these are non-specific reactants. An alternative is the use of enzymatic preparations, like Amylases, that can hydrolyse starch.