On this episode of Microbes At Work, host Tyler Kern talked with Bill Lantz, CEO at JGL Solutions. The duo dug into cracking paraffin chains and how JGL works to prevent these chains from causing issues in the oil well.

“Long-chain hydrocarbons are usually considered paraffin in the oil field,” Lantz said. “Paraffin is the wax, just like candle wax. The long chains are comprised of the oil, and they cause the oil to thicken up like the candle wax, and then you’ve got a problem in the oil well.”

JGL uses microbes to break the chains and actually change them to lower-carbon chains, also known as cracking. This is similar to what oil refineries do to improve the oil. When this occurs successfully, the paraffin is no longer present, and it makes better quality oil.