A Century of Petroleum Microbiology: Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques

2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of the first articles by E.S. Bastin and T.L Ginzburg-Karagicheva, which marked the beginning of petroleum microbiology as a science. Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) sits at the fascinating convergence of microbiology and petroleum engineering, aimed at maximizing oil recovery from depleting reservoirs where traditional extraction methods falter. The adoption of MEOR strategies can significantly augment oil output by deploying microorganisms and their metabolic products to mobilize residual oil. As global oil reserves become harder to access using conventional techniques, the surge of interest in sustainable and efficient recovery technologies like MEOR is evident, promising to usher in an era of more sustainable energy production.This Research Topic aims to explore the scientific advancements and efficacy of microbial interventions in enhancing oil recovery on a global scale. By canvassing a range of microbial processes that can facilitate the extraction of trapped oil, the research seeks to validate and potentially standardize MEOR methods. The investigation will encompass not only specific microbial applications but also delve into the genetic engineering of microbes well-suited for diverse geological settings.To delve deeper into the efficacy and expansion of MEOR technologies, we welcome Original Research, Reviews, Opinions, Perspectives and Methods articles on a variety of topics, which include:• Microbial diversity in petroleum and gas reservoirs and undergroundgas storage horizons;• Metagenomics approaches in ecology of microorganisms of petroleum reservoirs and isolation new taxa of prokaryotes from subsurface environments;• Aerobic and anaerobic biotransformation of crude oil and bitumen;• Extremophiles in MEOR: Adaptations for high-temperature and high-salinity reservoirs• Biotechnologies for petroleum industry, including microbial enhanced energy recovery (MEOR), microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) and oil souring.• Involvement of biosurfactants and biopolymers in MEOR• Genetically engineered microorganisms for enhanced MEOR efficiencyPlease note that Microbiotechnology does not consider descriptive studies that are solely based on amplicon (e.g., 16S rRNA) profiles or comparisons of nucleic acid extracts (e.g., metagenomics), unless they are accompanied by a clear hypothesis and experimentation and provide insight into the microbiological system or process being studied. Topic editors: Ranjit Gurav, Tamara N Nazina Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/67445/a-century-of-petroleum-microbiology-microbial-enhanced-oil-recovery-techniques