Method of enhancing oil recovery

1. A method of enhancing heavy oil recovery from a subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir, said method comprising injecting into said reservoir through a matrix injection section of a well a microorganism capable of digesting heavy oil, and recovering heavy oil from an oil receiving section of a production well, wherein said injection section is in said production well or is in an injection well and is above or adjacent said oil receiving section, wherein microorganism injection is preceded by another heavy oil extraction enhancing procedure, and wherein said another heavy oil enhancing procedure and said microorganism injection are effected repeatedly.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein microorganism injection is into an injection well.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein steam, superheated water or organic solvent is also injected through said injection well.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein microorganism injection is into a production well.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein organic solvent is also injected through said production well.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said microorganism is an alkane chain-shortening microorganism.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said microorganism is an aromatic ring opening microorganism.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising injecting said microorganism into said reservoir at a plurality of sites, each above or adjacent a said oil receiving section of a said production well.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heavy oil has an API of 22 or less.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heavy oil has an API of less than 10.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the another oil extraction enhancing procedure is selected from steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), VAPEX, hot solvent extraction, cold heavy oil production with sand (CHOPS), fracking, cyclic steam stimulation (CCS), steam injection, hot water extraction, and pulsed pressure flow enhancement.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the another oil extraction enhancing procedure is selected from VAPEX, hot solvent extraction, CHOPS, fracking, hot water extraction, and pulsed pressure flow enhancement.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said microorganism is from a microorganism community from subterranean reservoirs, from oil shales, bitumen sources, or mud volcanoes.

14. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said microorganism is able to withstand temperatures of 60° C. to 120° C.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said microorganism is able to withstand temperatures of 70° C. to 100° C.

16. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said microorganism is selected from the group consisting of Bacillus sp., Thermus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Geobacillus sp., Arthrobacter sp., Sphingomonas sp., Mycobacterium sp., Burholderia sp., Acinebacter sp., Thermovigra sp., Archaeoglobus sp., Thermosipho sp., Symbiobacterium sp., Methanosaeta sp., Epsilonproteobacerium sp., Syntrophus sp., Nocardioides sp., Deferribacter sp., and Chloraflexi sp.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said microorganism is a mixture of at least two microorganisms of the following species: Sphingomonas sp., Pseudomonas sp., Burholderia sp., Thermovigra lienii, Archaeoglubus fulgidus, Acinebacter venetianus, Thermosipho geolii , and Symbiobacterium sp.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 , comprising microorganisms of the species Sphingominas sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Burholderia sp.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18 , comprising microorganisms of the species Sphingomonas stygia, Sphingomonas aromaticivorans, Sphingomonas subterranean, Sphingomonas yanoikuyae, Pseudomonas putida , and Burholderia sp.

20. A method of enhancing heavy oil recovery from a subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir, said method comprising injecting into said reservoir through a matrix injection section of a well, a microorganism capable of digesting heavy oil, and recovering heavy oil from an oil receiving section of a production well, where said injection section is in said production well or is in an injection well and is above or adjacent said oil receiving section, and wherein microorganism injection is preceded by, or performed simultaneously with another heavy oil extraction enhancing procedure selected from the group consisting of SAGD, VAPEX, hot solvent extraction, CHOPS, fracking, CCS, steam injection, hot water extraction, and pulsed pressure flow enhancement wherein said another heavy oil extraction enhancing procedure and said microorganism injection are effected repeatedly.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein said another heavy oil extraction enhancing procedure is selected from the group consisting of VAPEX, hot solvent extraction, CHOPS, fracking, hot water extraction, and pulsed pressure flow enhancement.

22. A method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein said another heavy oil extraction enhancing procedure is selected from the group consisting of SAGD, VAPEX, hot solvent extraction, CHOPS, fracking, CCS, steam injection, and hot water extraction.

23. A method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein said microorganism is an alkane-chain shortening microorganism.

24. A method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein said microorganism is an aromatic ring opening microorganism.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24 , wherein said microorganism is a mixture of at least two microorganisms of the following species: Sphingomonas sp., Pseudomonas sp., Burholderia sp., Thermovigra lienii, Archaeoglubus fulgidus, Acinebacter venetianus, Thermosipho geolii , and Symbiobacterium sp.

26. A method as claimed in claim 25 , comprising microorganisms of the species Sphingomonas stygia, Sphingomonas aromaticivorans, Sphingomonas subterranean, Sphingomonas yanoikuyae, Pseudomonas putida , and Burholderia sp.

27. A method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein said microorganism is selected from the group consisting of Bacillus sp., Thermus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Geobacillus sp., Arthrobacter sp., Sphingomonas sp., Mycobacterium sp., Burholderia sp., Acinebacter sp., Thermovigra sp., Archaeoglobus sp., Thermosipho sp., Symbiobacterium sp., Methanosaeta sp., Epsilonproteobacerium sp., Syntrophus sp., Nocardioides sp., Deferribacter sp., and Chloraflexi sp.

28. A method as claimed in claim 27 , comprising microorganisms of the species Sphingomonas sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Burholderia sp.