Materials and methods for recovering oil from oil sands
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.
1. A method for enhancing oil recovery from oil sands or from a formation containing oil sands, wherein the method comprises applying to the oil sands or the formation a composition comprising one or more microbial growth by-products without a living microorganism that produces the growth by-products, wherein the microorganism is a Starmerella bombicola yeast and the growth product is a sophorolipid, and wherein the application of the composition causes oil to detach from the oil sands; subjecting the oil sands to cavitation; and recovering the detached oil from the oil sands or from the formation.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detached oil is heavy oil or bitumen.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition is contacted with oil sands that have been mined from the earth.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the composition comprises injecting the composition into a formation containing oil sands.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of sophorolipids in the composition is from 0.1% to 10.0%.