Charles J. Werth, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
March 14, 2014
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Mechanisms that Control CaCO3 Biomineralization During Reactive Transport and the Implications for Pore Space Alteration, Fluid Flow, and Mixing
Abstract:
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is among the most abundant and reactive minerals comprising the < 5km deep subsurface of the Earth’s crust. Precipitation and dissolution reactions have been linked to bioremediation, carbon sequestration, and enhanced oil recovery sites, and are implicated in pore space alteration and process efficacy. In this study, microbial CaCO3 biomineralization in a model reservoir is evaluated using a silicon-etched microfluidic reactor that has a uniform pore network. Acetate and nitrate are mixed in the pore network, which promotes growth of a Pseudomonas stutzeri st. DCP-Ps1 inoculum. After sufficient biomass growth occurs, elevated Ca2+ is introduced to evaluate if carbonate precipitation occurs and can be attributed to the increase in pH, microbial nucleation sites, factors linked to biological activity (e.g., enzyme production), or some combination of these. The results have direct implications for permeable reservoirs targeted for bioremediation, carbon sequestration, and/or enhanced oil recovery.
Date posted
Jun 17, 2019
Date updated
Jun 17, 2019