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Abstract The use of biologically active organisms to enhance petroleum recovery is not an entirely new concept. In 1926, Beckman introduced the idea that microorganisms could be employed to free oil from porous media (Lazar et al, 2007). Microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) is a process in which microorganisms are used to recover the oil remaining in the reservoir. MEOR appears to be least expensive. Microbial products of interest such as biosurfactants are mixed with the water before flooding, sometimes in combination with synthetic chemicals. In another approaches, microbes themselves may be injected into the well, with the hope that they will produce their desired products within the reservoir (Shibulal et al., 2014). |