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Volume 13
Issue 9
10.3390/pr13092854
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Study on the Synergistic Enhancement of Crude Oil Recovery by Bacillus Co-Culture Systems

by
Min Wang
1,2,
Chunjing Yu
3,
Xiaoyu Zhao
3,
Junhao Liu
1,2,
Haochen Zhai
1,2,
Meng Qi
1,2,
Xiumei Zhang
1,2 and
Yinsong Liu
1,2,4,*
1
Sanya Offshore Oil & Gas Research Institute, Northeast Petroleum University, Sanya 572024, China
2
Key Laboratory of Enhanced Oil Recovery, Northeast Petroleum University, Ministry of Education, Daqing 163000, China
3
Institute of Microbiology Heilongjiang Academy of Sciences, Harbin 316000, China
4
State Key Laboratory of Continental Shale Oil, Daqing 163000, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Processes 2025, 13(9), 2854; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13092854
Submission received: 15 July 2025 / Revised: 1 September 2025 / Accepted: 4 September 2025 / Published: 5 September 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Energy Systems)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Microbial-enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) is a promising technology for oilfield development. To improve MEOR efficiency, two functional strains—Bacillus mucilaginosus ZZ-8 and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ZZ-11—were isolated and purified. The growth characteristics, biosurfactant production, and crude oil emulsification performance of these strains were systematically evaluated through single-strain cultures and a co-culture system (ZZ-8: ZZ-11 = 1:1). The results demonstrated that the co-culture system exhibited superior growth and functional performance compared to monocultures. The cell-free supernatant significantly reduced oil–water interfacial tension, decreasing the contact angle from 53.56 ± 1.3° to 28.78 ± 0.82°, thereby enhancing crude oil detachment from rock surfaces and improving oil displacement efficiency. Gas chromatography (GC) analysis further confirmed the co-culture system’s pronounced degradation of long-chain alkanes (C17–C35). In oil sand washing experiments, the 1:1 mixed-strain fermentation broth achieved a crude oil elution rate of 84.39%, representing an 89.80% increase over uninoculated medium. This study not only validates the synergistic effect of the B. mucilaginosus–B. amyloliquefaciens co-culture system in enhancing oil recovery but also provides a theoretical foundation and innovative strategy for its practical application in MEOR technology.
Keywords: Bacillus; biosurfactant; interfacial tension; bio-oil washing; microbial enhanced oil recovery Bacillus; biosurfactant; interfacial tension; bio-oil washing; microbial enhanced oil recovery

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Wang, M.; Yu, C.; Zhao, X.; Liu, J.; Zhai, H.; Qi, M.; Zhang, X.; Liu, Y. Study on the Synergistic Enhancement of Crude Oil Recovery by Bacillus Co-Culture Systems. Processes 2025, 13, 2854. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13092854

AMA Style

Wang M, Yu C, Zhao X, Liu J, Zhai H, Qi M, Zhang X, Liu Y. Study on the Synergistic Enhancement of Crude Oil Recovery by Bacillus Co-Culture Systems. Processes. 2025; 13(9):2854. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13092854

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wang, Min, Chunjing Yu, Xiaoyu Zhao, Junhao Liu, Haochen Zhai, Meng Qi, Xiumei Zhang, and Yinsong Liu. 2025. "Study on the Synergistic Enhancement of Crude Oil Recovery by Bacillus Co-Culture Systems" Processes 13, no. 9: 2854. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13092854

APA Style

Wang, M., Yu, C., Zhao, X., Liu, J., Zhai, H., Qi, M., Zhang, X., & Liu, Y. (2025). Study on the Synergistic Enhancement of Crude Oil Recovery by Bacillus Co-Culture Systems. Processes, 13(9), 2854. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13092854

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