US 11,834,705 B2
Microbial products and their use in bioremediation and to remove paraffin and other contaminating substances from oil and gas production and processing equipment
Sean Farmer, North Miami Beach, FL (US); Ken Alibek, Solon, OH (US); Kent Adams, Twinsburg, OH (US); and Karthik N. Karathur, Solon, OH (US)
Assigned to LOCUS SOLUTIONS IPCO, LLC, Solon, OH (US)
Appl. No. 16/468,350
Filed by Locus Solutions IPCo, LLC, Solon, OH (US)
PCT Filed Dec. 11, 2017, PCT No. PCT/US2017/065608
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 11, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/107162, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 14, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/563,691, filed on Sep. 27, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/528,725, filed on Jul. 5, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/523,021, filed on Jun. 21, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/461,985, filed on Feb. 22, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/432,611, filed on Dec. 11, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2021/0363407 A1, Nov. 25, 2021
Int. Cl. C09K 8/52 (2006.01); C09K 8/524 (2006.01); C09K 8/584 (2006.01); C12N 1/16 (2006.01); C12Q 1/6844 (2018.01); C09K 8/54 (2006.01); C09K 8/60 (2006.01); C10G 32/00 (2006.01); C40B 40/08 (2006.01); C40B 50/06 (2006.01)
CPC C12Q 1/6846 (2013.01) [C09K 8/52 (2013.01); C09K 8/524 (2013.01); C09K 8/54 (2013.01); C09K 8/584 (2013.01); C09K 8/602 (2013.01); C10G 32/00 (2013.01); C12N 1/16 (2013.01); C09K 2208/32 (2013.01); C12Y 302/02027 (2013.01); C40B 40/08 (2013.01); C40B 50/06 (2013.01)] 3 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for softening, liquefying and/or removing paraffin and/or asphaltene deposits that have accumulated on a surface within an oilfield pipeline, storage tank, or tubing, wherein said method comprises applying to the pipeline, storage tank, or tubing a composition comprising
a biosurfactant blend comprising a sophorolipid and one or both of a rhamnolipid and a mannosylerythritol lipid; and
isopropyl alcohol in an amount from 2 ml/L to 100 ml/L,
wherein the biosurfactant blend further comprises a fermentation medium in which a biosurfactant-producing microorganism was cultivated as well as residual microbial cell matter, and wherein the composition does not comprise live microbes.