The subject invention provides microbe-based products, as well as their use to improve oil production and refining efficiency by, for example, remediating the disposable layers in oil tanks and other oil storage units. In preferred embodiments, the microbe-based products comprise biochemical-producing yeast and growth by-products thereof, such as, e.g., biosurfactants. The subject invention can be used to remediate rag layer and/or other dissolved solid layers that form in water-oil emulsions. Furthermore, the subject invention can be used for remediating solid impurities, such as sand, scale, rust and clay, in produced water, flow-back, brine, and/or fracking fluids.

A process of biodegradation of hydrocarbons using a plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) consortium mixed with the oily sludge, The PGPR consortium is created by inoculating a nutrient broth with pure culture of isolated bacterial strains of Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas putida and Exiguobacterium at Optical Density 1 at 660 nm and bacterial density of 10.sup.6 cells/ml, and incubating the inoculated nutrient broth in a shaker incubator for forty-eight to seventy-two hours at 150 rpm.

A process of biodegradation of hydrocarbons using a plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) consortium mixed with the oily sludge, The PGPR consortium is created by inoculating a nutrient broth with pure culture of isolated bacterial strains of Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas putida and Exiguobacterium at Optical Density 1 at 660 nm and bacterial density of 10.sup.6 cells/ml, and incubating the inoculated nutrient broth in a shaker incubator for forty-eight to seventy-two hours at 150 rpm.

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of application of bioengineering technology in microbial oil recovery, and discloses a Brevibacillus agri strain and preparation thereof and a method for preparing surfactant, and use thereof. The Brevibacillus agri strain is deposited in the China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center under the accession number CGMCC No. 9983. The Brevibacillus agri and its preparation may effectively enhance the crude oil recovery; the method for preparing the surfactant allow the lipopeptide biosurfactant to have good physical properties, effectively reduce the surface tension, and have good emulsifying performance for petroleum, various hydrocarbons and lipids.

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of application of bioengineering technology in microbial oil recovery, and discloses a Brevibacillus agri strain and preparation thereof and a method for preparing surfactant, and use thereof. The Brevibacillus agri strain is deposited in the China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center under the accession number CGMCC No. 9983. The Brevibacillus agri and its preparation may effectively enhance the crude oil recovery; the method for preparing the surfactant allow the lipopeptide biosurfactant to have good physical properties, effectively reduce the surface tension, and have good emulsifying performance for petroleum, various hydrocarbons and lipids.

We disclose a process for purification of hydrocarbons, suitable for a wide range of contexts such as refining bunker fuels to yield low-sulphur fuels, cleaning of waste engine oil (etc) to yield a usable hydrocarbon product, recovery of hydrocarbons from used tyres, recovery of hydrocarbons from thermoplastics etc, as well as the treatment of crude oils, shale oils, and the tailings remaining after fractionation and like processes. The method comprises the steps of heating the hydrocarbon thereby to release a gas phase, contacting the gas with an aqueous persulphate electrolyte within a reaction chamber, and condensing the gas to a liquid or a liquid/gas mixture and removing its aqueous component. It also comprises subjecting the reaction product to an electrical field generated by at least two opposing electrode plates between which the reaction product flows; this electrolytic step regenerates the persulphate electrolyte which can be recirculated within the process. The process is ideally applied in an environment at lower than atmospheric pressure, such as less than 1500 Pa. A wide range of hydrocarbons can be treated in this way. Used hydrocarbons such as engine oils and sulphur-contaminated fuels are prime examples, but there are a wide range of others such as hydrocarbons derived from the pyrolysis of a material having a hydrocarbon content. One such example is a mix of used rubber (such as end-of-life tyres) and used oils (such as engine oils, waste marine oils), which can be pyrolysed together to yield a hydrocarbon liquid which can be treated as above, and a residue that provides a useful solid fuel.

The present invention provides environmentally-friendly compositions and methods for recovering oil from oil sands. The present invention can also be used for reducing the viscosity and/or increasing the API gravity of oil. In specific embodiments, the invention utilizes compositions comprising biochemical-producing microorganisms and microbial growth by-products, such as biosurfactants, as well as cavitation, to enhance oil recovery.

A method may include: introducing a fluid comprising a first immiscible phase and a second immiscible phase into a contacting vessel comprising multiple contact stages: flowing the fluid through a first fiber bundle disposed in the contacting vessel; separating at least a portion of the first immiscible phase from the second immiscible phase; and flowing the separated portion of the first immiscible phase through a second fiber bundle disposed in the contacting vessel.

A method may include: introducing a fluid comprising a first immiscible phase and a second immiscible phase into a contacting vessel comprising multiple contact stages: flowing the fluid through a first fiber bundle disposed in the contacting vessel; separating at least a portion of the first immiscible phase from the second immiscible phase; and flowing the separated portion of the first immiscible phase through a second fiber bundle disposed in the contacting vessel.

The subject invention provides microbe-based products, as well as their use in simultaneously enhancing oil recovery from an oil well while efficiently removing contaminating compositions such as biofilm, scale, paraffin, and/or asphaltenes from oil production equipment and oil-bearing formations. The subject invention can also be used to disperse paraffin and asphaltene precipitates, and to reduce the viscosity of heavy crude oil. The subject invention further provides materials and methods for bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated sites.