Enzymatic degradation of carboxymethyl cellulose – A biotechnological approach for hydraulic fracturing operations
Date
2019-12-19
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Abstract
Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is a polymer used in different industrial sectors. In the oil and gas industry, CMC is often used during hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations as a thickening agent helping for proppant delivery. Accumulations of CMC at fracture faces (filter cakes) can impede oil and gas recovery. Although chemical oxidizers are added to disrupt these accumulations, there is industrial interest in developing alternative, enzyme-based treatments. Little is known about whether CMC can be biodegraded under fracking conditions. Here, we enriched a methanogenic CMC-degrading culture, and demonstrated its ability to express extracellular enzymes able to utilize CMC under various conditions that typify oil fields. Finally, isolation and purification of the enzymes allowed for complete degradation of the polymer within 3 h, and allowed for the identification of putative purified cellulases. This study demonstrates that enzyme technology holds great promise as a viable approach to treating CMC filter cakes under field conditions.
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Keywords
Hydraulic fracturing, Biodegradation, Filter cake, Carboxymethyl cellulose, Thermophilic enzymes, Cellulases
Citation
Scheffer, G. (2019). Enzymatic degradation of carboxymethyl cellulose – A biotechnological approach for hydraulic fracturing operations (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.