Enzymatic degradation of carboxymethyl cellulose – A biotechnological approach for hydraulic fracturing operations

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dc.contributor.advisorGieg, Lisa Marie
dc.contributor.authorScheffer, Gabrielle
dc.contributor.committeememberNg, Kenneth Kai Sing
dc.contributor.committeememberSen, Arindom
dc.date2019-06
dc.date.accessioned2019-12-20T22:27:43Z
dc.date.available2019-12-20T22:27:43Z
dc.date.issued2019-12-19
dc.description.abstractCarboxymethyl 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.en_US
dc.identifier.citationScheffer, 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.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/37361
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/111369
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisher.facultyScienceen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectHydraulic fracturingen_US
dc.subjectBiodegradationen_US
dc.subjectFilter cakeen_US
dc.subjectCarboxymethyl celluloseen_US
dc.subjectThermophilic enzymesen_US
dc.subjectCellulasesen_US
dc.subject.classificationMicrobiologyen_US
dc.titleEnzymatic degradation of carboxymethyl cellulose – A biotechnological approach for hydraulic fracturing operationsen_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineBiological Sciencesen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrueen_US
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