The microorganisms that are utilized in Bio Tech's paraffin control products are chosen for their ability to use hydrocarbons, specifically alkanes, as their sole carbon source for growth. Metabolizing these hydrocarbons, (C-16 through C-60+) results in the microbial �cracking� of long-chain molecules into short-chain compounds.

Metabolic products produced by the microorganisms, such as ketones, alcohols, organic acids, and aldehydes, function similarly to oilfield chemicals used as wax dispersants and pour point depressants.

The microbial "cracking" in conjunction with the secretion of these metabolic products result in reduced viscosity, increased API gravity, reduced cloud point, and reduced pour point.

The facultative anaerobic microbes used to treat asphaltenes are selected by Bio Tech for their acute biosurfactant-producing properties. These biosurfactants control select asphaltenes, enhance flow properties of asphaltic oils, and prevent paraffin deposition. The microbes break apart organic deposits in perfs, pumps, and tubing.

We also offer a natural solvent used in conjunction with our microbial blends that enhances the process of asphaltene elimination. This organic dispersant removes and bioremediates hydrocarbons by decreasing the surface tension, thus forming microscopic, spherical droplets, which are quickly bioremediated by the bacteria due to their increased surface area. Digestion begins upon application and continues after the product is washed from surfaces.

Bio Tech's microbes can demulsify both oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions. The activity is related to the bacterial cell acting as a wetting bridge between droplets in the continuous phase. The various products of bacterial metabolism, such as biosurfactants, organic acids, and alcohols also contribute to the demulsification process.

Bio Tech's marine-based, facultative anaerobic microbes are very efficient at preventing scale formation. Our microbes produce various substances that mimic many of the properties of scale inhibitors. Organic acids produced by the microbes act as chelating agents for divalent cations such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and barium. The microbes also produce extra cellular substances, such as polysaccharides, polyphosphates, lipopolysaccharides, phospholipids, glycolipids and proteins that have chelating, anti-precipitation, filming, and biosurfactant activities. These substances bind cations, restricting their capacity to form mineral deposits, and also coat surfaces to prevent nucleation sites for potential scale growth.

The marine-based, facultative anaerobic microbes utilized in Bio Tech's corrosion control products protect the formation face, as well as downhole and surface equipment from corrosion. This is achieved through the process of sequestering, filming, and removing solids that cause under-deposit corrosion.

Byproducts produced by these microorganisms, such as organic acids and ketones, are polarizing agents that inhibit the corrosion process. These filming agents act as passivating agents to control corrosion of metal surfaces. By coating (passivating) surfaces, the interaction between corrosive compounds, like carbonic acids and sulfides, is mitigated and the corrosive process is reduced. This is accomplished by neutralizing the cathodic portion of the metal, breaking the �circuit� of the corrosion cell.

Bio Tech's proprietary microbial cultures in oilfield applications create a decrease in the number and activity of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) and acid producing bacteria (APB). Through the process of biocompetitive exclusion, Bio Tech's microbes compete with SRB/APB for nutrients in the aqueous environment, thus "starving out" these harmful bacteria.

Our microbes out-compete the SRB/APB for nutrients in the aqueous environment (ie. iron and small molecule fatty acids) overwhelming them and reducing their populations.

Microbially Induced Corrosion (MIC), is corrosion caused or promoted by microorganisms known as chemoautotrophs. Chemoautotrophs use inorganic compounds such as sulfate to survive to derive their energy. Bio Tech products are chemoheterotrophs, which use organic compounds to survive. Bio Tech's microbes, do not respire or metabolize sulphates, therefore we do not share them as an energy source.

Our microbes dramatically reduce the nutrient load of the water, outcompeting other microbes and the algae for the existing food sources.

Bio Tech uses a wide range water clarifying microbial blend containing a proprietary combination of natural, facultative anaerobic species selected for their heavy biosurfactants/byproducts production.

Byproducts such as alcohols, ketones, organic acids, and biosurfactants inhibit a wide range of water borne scale (such as calcium carbonate and sulfate scales, as well as iron sulfide) through their metabolic processes (chelation and sequestering).

• Microbes degrade skin damage, increasing fluid entry (injectivity) into the reservoir by keeping ions in suspension
• Reservoir rock acts as a "bio-reactor" to address compounds released from formations
• Microbial activity lowers injection pressures and increases injection rates
• Microbial activity and bio surfactants lower the interfacial tension between the water and oil interface, releasing residual oil

Bio Tech offers the industrial community an environmentally safe and cost effective method for the clean-up of contaminated and/or hazardous wastes. Our naturally occurring microbes are formulated for the broad spectrum degradation of a variety of compounds, such as simple aromatics, to petroleum related spills.

Our microbes have proven very effective in a variety of in-situ applications.

Bio Tech successfully treats refineries at underground water and hydrocarbon recovery tanks, frac tanks, ponds, process water systems, centrifuge systems, and soil remediation.