After almost two years of research in the BASF labs, Wintershall now aims for the first time to test the biopolymer in an oil field to verify whether it is able to improve oil production. In the rural district of Diepholz, in northern Germany, the Bockstedt crude oil field was chosen for this field test, scheduled to last three years. 

Oil production in Bockstedt and in the neighboring oil fields of Aldorf and Düste have had a long tradition. Since the 1950’s domestic crude oil has been recovered there  and the one millionth ton of crude was produced in the region back in 1958. One year later, the work was expanded to include gas production with the discovery of the gas reserves in Eyelstedt.

Developing schizophyllan is a complicated task which can only be mastered with an efficient and dedicated team. Hence, Wintershall has brought a strong partner on board: the parent company, BASF.



The world’s largest chemicals company has great expertise and years of experience in the field of white biotechnology where microorganisms and enzymes are used to make chemical and biochemical products – for example by means of fermentation, which is also used for the production of schizophyllan. The manufacture of polymers is one of the key fields of white biotechnology. So it goes without saying that the researchers at BASF are indispensable for the development of the biopolymer schizophyllan. A team of about 70 staff from Wintershall and BASF are concentrating their efforts on the fungus and the biopolymer that it produces. The team of researchers is investigating questions such as how long the fermentation takes, how much sugar and how much oxygen the fungus needs for the production of the polymer in close cooperation. Their overriding objective is to optimize production and to make the biopolymer suitable for use in the oil deposit.

Keeping bacteria away from the polymer is also a challenge in actual production. To provide the biopolymer in the desired quantity and quality, the production process must run smoothly and without any disruption from foreign organisms. To ensure quality, the polymer which is produced at BASF in Ludwigshafen is subject to hygiene standards matching,and sometimes in excess, of those used within the food industry. 

Schizophyllan has excellent properties for use in oil production. For instance, it is not deterred by high heat or too much salt in the reservoir. 



Yet there are a few challenges that also have to be overcome with this product: Being a biological product and biodegradable, Schizophyllan is prone to attack by bacteria. As protection against them, a preservative also used in papermaking and in conditioning cooling and warm water is added to it. It is consumed completely while the biopolymer/water mixture flows through the porous rock in the oil reservoir.

Deep under the surface the experts are confronted with various challenges: firstly, the biopolymer has to be transported several thousand meters under the surface undamaged. When it gets there it is met by extremely high temperatures which it has to be able to withstand. Furthermore, the deep layers of the earth have a very high salt content. Crude oil production with polymers is nothing new in itself, but many synthetic polymers are not biologically degradable, which means they cannot be used in some places, for example the Norwegian North Sea.

The crude oil in many reservoirs is often much more viscous than water. This means that water, being less thick; e can flow through the rock pores far more easily than oil can. Therefore, instead of driving the oil in front of the water as actually desired, the water finds ways over time to squeeze its way past the oil droplets and so sweeps less and less oil along with it.

One way of increasing the amount produced is to reduce the mobility of water in relation to the mobility of oil. This is done by mixing water with a polymer like Schizophyllan whereby the water becomes thicker and presses more oil out of the rock pores as its makes its way through to the reservoir. Due to Schizophyllan, the recovery rate may be increased in future (depending on the reservoir) from around 35 to 45 percent, representing a huge advance.

Crude oil is found underground and was created millions of years ago. During the warm geological ages, strong algae growth in shallow seas and lakes produced enormous amounts of organic waste. Some of this waste was enclosed in the earth’s crust and, deprived of oxygen and under high pressure, turned into oil over millions of years.



The depth at which oil is located differs greatly – from fifty, several hundred or several thousand meters. For example, Mittelplate, Germany’s largest oil field, is between 2,000 to 3,000 meters below the Wattenmeer with oil haing been produced there since the beginning of 1987. 

How this valuable raw material is produced, why oil is so important and why our fungus plays such an important role is all revealed in the next chapter.

Schizophyllan is a real boon in oil production: As the product is heat-resistant and salt-tolerant, it still works effectively in reservoirs with high temperatures and salt concentrations – this is a great advantage given that these conditions are found within half of all the world’s reservoirs. 


Equally as important is the fact that Schizophyllan is extremely eco-friendly. That is because the biopolymer is fully biodegradable – a true natural product. 


The benefits of the fungus have long been recognized in other parts of the world: Schizophyllan is used in South America as a dietary supplement and medicinally in Asia to strengthen the immune system. 


Due to its outstanding environmental compatibility, this biological product can even be used in oil production in highly sensitive ecosystems such as the ocean. This provides a particular advantage in countries like Norway which require that all substances used in offshore production must be biodegradable. 

There are various types of polymers. With synthetic polymers, the molecule chains are created in chemical reactors. In contrast, a biopolymer is created in a natural biological process – like in brewing beer. In the case of Schizophyllan, the fungus Schizophyllum commune produces the molecule chains itself. The gel-like substance Schizophyllan is made up of a sequence of about 25,000 sugar components. 


In order for it to be used for oil production, BASF exclusively makes the thickening agent in a complex process on behalf of Wintershall. The fungus and a sugar solution are stirred in a fermenter for more than two weeks and aerated with oxygen. The fungus produces the biopolymer in this process. The Schizophyllan is then separated completely from the fungus and cleansed in several stages. The biopolymer is then used in the oil field.

The word “polymer” comes from the Greek language meaning “many parts”. A polymer is therefore a chain of molecules having identical units. Polymers turn up just about everywhere in our day-to-day life. One of their main functions is as a thickening agent, for example, in toothpastes and cosmetic articles, where they make liquid substances viscous or gel-like.



Their role is comparable in crude oil production whereby they thicken the water which presses more oil out of pores.

Everything depends on it; the fungus Schizophyllum commune. The white cotton wool-like structure produces the biopolymer Wintershall aims to use to increase crude oil production. The brown fruiting body merely serves for the reproduction of the biopolymer.

Wintershall is currently developing an eco-friendly technology that could significantly improve crude oil production. The concept is supplied by nature with the key to success being a simple fungus. 

Bernd Leonhardt, Project Manager at Wintershall: “We already had the idea of maximizing crude oil production with the help of a fungus back in the 1980’s. Then, a few years ago we decided to bring the project to life. At the same time we knew that we needed a strong partner to get this technology ready for the market. And what could possibly make more sense than bringing our parent company, BASF, on board?”

Wintershall is carefully studying this polymer, which was christened Schizophyllan by its producer, because it can be used in the production of oil. When injected into the water the gelatin-like substance thickens the water of the deposit to increase output. 


The water then forces more oil out of the deposit and to the surface because it no longer flows past the valuable raw material so easily. Due to this process, the recovery rate from reservoirs can be enhanced significantly.