GreenZyme Detergent prevents crude oil attachment to rock.
- Lucas Evangelista
- Feb 19, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: 15 hours ago
The main target of the water additive GreenZyme technology is the reservoir rock, competing with the oil for attachment surface area. GreenZyme manages to displace oil by interfering with the adhesion behavior of the hydrocarbons. This results in a pronounced change in wettability with improved production drainage.
GreenZyme technology is a water based surfactant detergent, composed of an amphoteric / zwitterion / bi-polar molecule influencing attraction and repulsion of other components. Performing as a nano-magnet, GreenZyme is originally created as a water based separator additive for surface recovery (oil spill), remediation (contaminated soils), and petroleum waste (bottom tank) reduction.
The latest formulation is an efficient separator when soaked in the reservoir production zone.
Since the 1990s GreenZyme has collected a historical track record of a conservative 40% increase in production in 90% of their implemented wells, with many wells showing improved drainage similar to initial production levels.
The GreenZyme molecule integrates a lipophilic receptor that seeks to make temporary physical attachment to crude. This gives the enzyme concentrate the ability to break interfacial tension (IFT) with the oil to seek to disperse water-in-oil emulsions. Interfacial tension is present in the water-in-oil emulsions pockets/droplets due to the presence of salts and they contribute to the resistance to flow and hold of the IFT.
The enzyme uses the amphoteric polarity to interfere with the adhesion and cohesion behavior of the hydrocarbon. The zwitterion molecule is also able to interact with loose salt ions that participate in the IFT resistance of water-in-oil mixes, therefore facilitating the breaking of emulsions, promoting separation and actively polishing the crude from water and sand in the reservoir.
When GreenZyme is strategically used to mitigate water cone and fingering penetration, the detergent can provide a substantial increase in drainage permeability that will unlock and restore the oil well to optimal production levels. Unlocked wells have registered a +100% increase from baseline production by making available the crude that is skipped due to low mobility with water.
The zwitterionic surfactant effect of the enzyme molecule, while temporarily attaching to the hydrocarbons, allows for the crude to more freely dissipate into the water.
GreenZyme in the Literature: A Detergent-Class Mechanism
The idea that GreenZyme behaves like a detergent isn't limited to the Bergen research cited above. Independent labs, universities, and field studies — with no connection to one another — have repeatedly described the same surfactant/detergent-class behavior:
Technical University of Denmark (DTU) — Alsu Khusainova, PhD thesis, “Enhanced Oil Recovery with Application of Enzymes”: “An exception is the commercial mixture Apollo GreenZyme™ exhibiting a surfactant-like action, indeed most likely explained by presence of surfactant in the product.”
Khusainova et al., peer-reviewed, Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 127 (2015): “Application of Apollo GreenZyme™ resulted in absolute non-adhesion behaviour for all calcite minerals at all investigated concentrations.”
University of Aberdeen — Motaz Saeed thesis on GreenZyme foam stability: “GreenZyme is a surfactant…water soluble enzyme that is environmental friendly and biodegradable,” used to “generate stable foams” for CO2-EOR.
University of New South Wales (2025) — coal seam gas study: “GreenZyme (GZ)…an enzyme-based surfactant, for its effectiveness enhancing CSG recovery.”
Universidad Central de Venezuela, biochemical characterization report (2018): raised the possibility that GreenZyme “sea un detergente enzimático” (“may be an enzymatic detergent”), based on its activity across acidic, neutral, and basic pH ranges typical of commercial detergents.
LEMIGAS, Indonesia's Center for Oil and Gas Technology Research and Development (2010): tested GreenZyme head-to-head against nine other commercial surfactants, in a study noting that “surfactants are better known as daily necessities such as soaps, detergents or other cleaning agents.”
Emerald Energy, Capella Field lab test, Colombia (2022): observed a “phase inversion effect (surfactant effect) increasing the fluidity of the crude oil and preventing it from sticking to the walls of the bottle” — the same detergent-like de-adhesion mechanism described throughout this post.
Across a Danish PhD thesis, a peer-reviewed journal paper, a Scottish university thesis, an Australian coal-seam study, a Venezuelan biochemical lab report, an Indonesian government research center, and a Colombian field lab test, the same conclusion holds: whatever mineral or reservoir it's tested against, GreenZyme keeps behaving like a surfactant-class detergent.
Sources & Credits
The Bergen dissertation cited at the top of this post is archived in our Case Studies library. The additional references above are drawn from BTP's internal research archive and are available on request.
