Microbes are inevitably present in hydrocarbon reservoirs wherein they contribute to emergent dynamics at reservoir scales. Their influence in driving these dynamics remains unexplored in UAE oilfields and there remains a pressing need for new tools (predictive/diagnostic) to mitigate unfavorable processes (souring, formation damage, and corrosion) and highlight opportunities for biotechnologies to remediate contaminated soils, reduce operational costs, and enhance recovery.
The goal of this multidisciplinary work is to leverage recent advances in molecular microbiology, microscale imaging, and computational modelling to address the influence of microbial activities on oilfield challenges. This work seeks to demonstrate proof-of-concept for AI-based modelling tools to predict emergent environmental properties that arise from microscale biological dynamics.
Importantly, the development of such tools remains an ongoing and major scientific goal as these tools represent the only current strategy to predictively address timely societal issues of import (including climate and biosphere changes brought on by anthropogenic impacts).
