Insights on Heat Transfer at the Top of Steam Chambers in SAGD

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Pinto ◽  
Xin Wang ◽  
Ian D. Gates
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Flux ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Error Function ◽  
Material Balance ◽  
Heat Transfer Analysis ◽  
Steam Chamber ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Gas Volume

Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) is the method of choice for producing oil from oil sands reservoirs. In this method, steam is injected into the formation and the oil, upon heating, is mobilized and driven under gravity to a production well. The accumulation of steam within the reservoir is referred to as the steam chamber. One of the critical issues confronting SAGD operators is the thermal efficiency, measured by the steam-to-oil ratio, of their operations since it directly ties to process costs. Using thermocouple profiles from observation wells on three SAGD fields in Alberta, we use error function fits to estimate the thermal conductivity of the shale above the oil formation (found to be from 0.33 to 3.81 W/mK), heat flux at the top of the steam chamber, vertical height of the steam/gas zone above the steam chamber, and accumulated gas volume present. A gas material balance is then derived to estimate the volume of gas that might be generated through in situ chemical processes. The results of the heat transfer analysis performed on the thermocouple data reveal that the gas co-injection during SAGD operations studied did not directly affect the heat transfer rate at the top of the steam chamber since the gas volume added was small. The results also show that a sufficiently large accumulation of gas at the top of the chamber lowers the heat flux at the edge of the chamber.

A New Approach to the Analytical Treatment of Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage: A Prescribed Interface Model

SPE Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (02) ◽  
pp. 492-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Keshavarz ◽  
Thomas G. Harding ◽  
Zhangxin Chen
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Production Rate ◽  
Material Balance ◽  
Oil Production ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Conductive Heat ◽  
Analytical Treatment ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Steam Chamber ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage

Summary The majority of the models in the literature for the steam-assisted-gravity-drainage (SAGD) process solve the problem of conductive heat transfer ahead of a moving hot interface using a quasisteady-state assumption and extend the solution to the base of the steam chamber where the interface is not moving. This approach, as discussed by Butler (1985) and Reis (1992), results in inaccurate or sometimes infeasible estimations of the oil-production rate, steam/oil ratio (SOR), and steam-chamber shape. In this work, a new approach for the analytical treatment of SAGD is proposed in which the problem of heat transfer is directly solved for a stationary source of heat at the base of the steam chamber, where the oil production occurs. The distribution of heat along the interface is then estimated depending on the geometry of the steam chamber. This methodology is more representative of the heat-transfer characteristics of SAGD and resolves the challenges of those earlier models. In addition, it allows for the extension of the formulations to the early stages of the process when the side interfaces of the chamber are almost stationary, without loss of the solution continuity. The model requires the overall shape of the steam chamber as an input. It then estimates the movement of chamber interfaces using the movement of the uppermost interface point and by satisfying the global material-balance requirements. Oil-production rate and steam demand are estimated by Darcy's law and energy-balance calculations, respectively. The result is a model that is applicable to the entire lifetime of a typical SAGD project and provides more-representative estimations of in-situ heat distribution, bitumen-production rate, and SOR. With the improved knowledge obtained on the fundamentals of heat transfer in SAGD, the reason for the discrepancies between the various earlier models will be clarified. Results of the analytical models developed in this work show reasonable agreement with fine-scale numerical simulation, which indicates that the primary physics are properly captured. In the final section of the paper, the application of the developed models to two field case studies will be demonstrated.

Understanding the Convection Heat-Transfer Mechanism in the Steam-Assisted-Gravity-Drainage Process

SPE Journal ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (06) ◽  
pp. 1202-1216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mazda Irani ◽  
Ian Gates
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Flux ◽  
Convective Heat ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Heat Transfer Mechanism ◽  
Oil Sand ◽  
Convective Flux ◽  
Convective Heat Flux ◽  
Steam Chamber ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage

Summary Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) is the preferred method to extract bitumen from Athabasca oil-sand reservoirs in western Canada. In SAGD, steam, injected outward from a horizontal injection well, loses its latent heat when it contacts the cold bitumen at the edge of a steam chamber. Consequently, the viscosity of the bitumen falls several orders of magnitude, enabling it to flow under gravity toward a horizontal production well directly below to the injection well. It is commonly believed that conduction is the dominant heat-transfer mechanism at the edge of the chamber. Heat transfer by convection is not considered in classic SAGD mathematical models such as the one derived by Butler. Researchers such as Butler and Stephens (1981), Reis (1992), Akin (2005), Liang (2005), Nukhaev et al. (2006), and Azad and Chalaturnyk (2010) considered the conduction from steam to cold reservoir to be the only heat-transfer component. Farouq-Ali (1997), Edmunds (1999a, b), Ito and Suzuki (1996, 1999), Ito et al. (1998), Sharma and Gates (2011), and Irani and Ghannadi (2013) questioned the assumption that thermal conduction dominates heat transfer at the edge of a SAGD chamber. Sharma and Gates (2011) and Irani and Ghannadi (2013) studied convective flux from condensate flow at the edge of an SAGD steam chamber. Irani and Ghannadi (2013) derived a new formulation that solves the energy balance and pressure-driven condensate flow normal to the steam-chamber interface into the cold bitumen reservoir and concluded that the assumption of conduction-dominated heat transfer is valid; however, all previous analyses do not include convective heat transfer arising from draining bitumen and condensate. Although a few researchers have studied convective flux from condensate flow at the edge of an SAGD steam chamber (e.g., Sharma and Gates 2011; Irani and Ghannadi 2013), there is a lack of understanding of bitumen and condensate drainage parallel to the edge of the chamber and of its effect on transverse heat transfer into the oil sand beyond the chamber. In this study, the relative roles of convective heat flux both parallel and normal to the edge of a steam chamber are examined. The results suggest that the convective heat flux associated with flow parallel to the chamber edge is minor compared with that normal to the edge.

scholarly journals Identifying Reservoir Features via iSOR Response Behaviour

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 427
Author(s):  
Jingyi Wang ◽  
Ian Gates
Keyword(s):  
Oil Sands ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Athabasca Oil Sands ◽  
Steam Chamber ◽  
Heterogeneous Reservoirs ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ◽  
Response Behaviour

To extract viscous bitumen from oil sands reservoirs, steam is injected into the formation to lower the bitumen’s viscosity enabling sufficient mobility for its production to the surface. Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) is the preferred process for Athabasca oil sands reservoirs but its performance suffers in heterogeneous reservoirs leading to an elevated steam-to-oil ratio (SOR) above that which would be observed in a clean oil sands reservoir. This implies that the SOR could be used as a signature to understand the nature of heterogeneities or other features in reservoirs. In the research reported here, the use of the SOR as a signal to provide information on the heterogeneity of the reservoir is explored. The analysis conducted on prototypical reservoirs reveals that the instantaneous SOR (iSOR) can be used to identify reservoir features. The results show that the iSOR profile exhibits specific signatures that can be used to identify when the steam chamber reaches the top of the formation, a lean zone, a top gas zone, and shale layers.

Heat Transfer Analysis of Laminar Pulsating Flow in a Rectangular Channel Using Infrared Thermography

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Blythman ◽  
Sajad Alimohammadi ◽  
Nicholas Jeffers ◽  
Darina B. Murray ◽  
Tim Persoons
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Flux ◽  
Analytical Solution ◽  
Local Time ◽  
Rectangular Channel ◽  
Pulsating Flow ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
Heat Transfer Analysis ◽  
Flux Boundary Condition ◽  
Hydrodynamic Behaviour

Abstract While numerous applied studies have successfully demonstrated the feasibility of unsteady cooling solutions, a consensus has yet to be reached on the local instantaneous conditions that result in heat transfer enhancement. The current work aims to experimentally validate a recent analytical solution (on a local time-dependent basis) for the common flow condition of a fully-developed incompressible pulsating flow in a uniformly-heated vessel. The experimental setup is found to approximate the ideal constant heat flux boundary condition well, especially for the decoupled unsteady scenario where the amplitude of the most significant secondary contributions (capacitance and lateral conduction) amounts to 1.2% and 0.2% of the generated heat flux, respectively. Overall, the experimental measurements for temperature and heat flux oscillations are found to coincide well with a recent analytical solution to the energy equation by the authors. Furthermore, local time-dependent heat flux enhancements and degradations are observed to be qualitatively similar to those of wall shear stress from a previous study, suggesting that the thermal performance is indeed influenced by hydrodynamic behaviour.

Approximate Physics-Discrete Simulation of the Steam-Chamber Evolution in Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage

SPE Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (02) ◽  
pp. 477-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrique Gallardo ◽  
Clayton V. Deutsch
Keyword(s):  
Oil Sands ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Thermal Recovery ◽  
Porous Media Flow ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Discrete Simulation ◽  
Flow Equations ◽  
Integrity Assessment ◽  
Steam Chamber ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage

Summary Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) is a thermal-recovery process to produce bitumen from oil sands. In this technology, steam injected in the reservoir creates a constantly evolving steam chamber while heated bitumen drains to a production well. Understanding the geometry and the rate of growth of the steam chamber is necessary to manage an economically successful SAGD project. This work introduces an approximate physics-discrete simulator (APDS) to model the steam-chamber evolution. The algorithm is formulated and implemented using graph theory, simplified porous-media flow equations, heat-transfer concepts, and ideas from discrete simulation. The APDS predicts the steam-chamber evolution in heterogeneous reservoirs and is computationally efficient enough to be applied over multiple geostatistical realizations to support decisions in the presence of geological uncertainty. The APDS is expected to be useful for selecting well-pair locations and operational strategies, 4D-seismic integration in SAGD-reservoir characterization, and caprock-integrity assessment.

Comparison of Predictions From Conjugate Heat Transfer Analysis of a Film-Cooled Turbine Vane to Experimental Data

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron-Ho Ni ◽  
William Humber ◽  
George Fan ◽  
John P. Clark ◽  
Richard J. Anthony ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Flux ◽  
Conjugate Heat Transfer ◽  
Metal Temperature ◽  
Heat Transfer Analysis ◽  
Barrier Coating ◽  
Turbine Vane ◽  
Flux Measurements ◽  
Surface Metal ◽  
Air Force Research Laboratory

Conjugate heat transfer analysis was conducted on a 648 hole film cooled turbine vane using Code Leo and compared to experimental results obtained at the Air Force Research Laboratory Turbine Research Facility. An unstructured mesh with fully resolved film holes for both fluid and solid domains was used to conduct the conjugate heat transfer simulation on a desktop PC with eight cores. Initial heat flux and surface metal temperature predictions showed reasonable agreement with heat flux measurements but under prediction of surface metal temperature values. Root cause analysis was performed, leading to two refinements. First, a thermal barrier coating layer was introduced into the analysis to account for the insulating properties of the Kapton layer used for the heat flux gauges. Second, inlet boundary conditions were updated to more accurately reflect rig measurement conditions. The resulting surface metal temperature predictions showed excellent agreement relative to measured results (+/− 5 degrees K).

Co-Axial Laminar Multiphase Jet: A Novel Methodology for the Attainment Enhancement in Transition Boiling Regime

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kashinath Barik ◽  
B. Swain ◽  
A.R. Pati ◽  
Susmit Chitransh ◽  
S.S. Mohapatra
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Flux ◽  
Flux Distribution ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Heat Transfer Analysis ◽  
Heat Flux Distribution ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Multiphase Fluid ◽  
Thermal Diffusivities ◽  
The Comparative Study

Abstract In the current investigation, by using a very low mass flux co-axial laminar multiphase fluid jet, enhancement in heat transfer rate, uniformity in heat flux distribution, and reduction in coolant consumption rate characteristics are simultaneously tried to achieve in case of cooling from a very high initial temperature (900 °C). The information on quenching technology depicting all the above-mentioned advantages has not been reported in the literature. In the present work, kerosene–water, nanofluid (Al2O3 = 0.15%)–kerosene, and nanofluid (Al2O3 = 0.15%)–polyethylene glycol combinations were used for co-axial cooling experimentation. From the heat transfer analysis, it is observed that nanofluid (Al2O3 = 0.15%) and kerosene combination produces maximum critical heat flux due to the alteration of thermophysical and interfacial properties, which enhance the driving force and flow behavior defining momentum and thermal diffusivities in the favorable direction of heat transfer, respectively. In addition to the above, the comparative study ensures a significant reduction in coolant consumption and augmentation in uniformity in heat flux distribution.

Evaluation of response characteristics of thin film gauge for conductive heat transfer mode

2020 ◽  
pp. 014233122096066
Author(s):  
Tanweer Alam ◽  
Rakesh Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Flux ◽  
Short Duration ◽  
Temperature Data ◽  
Heat Transfer Analysis ◽  
Transient Temperature ◽  
Conductive Heat ◽  
Sensing Element ◽  
Element Analysis

Heat transfer analysis is the one of the most important designing aspects for many engineering systems. The design prospect in the preview of heat transfer focuses on the prediction of heat flux with the help of measured transient temperature data. Thin film gauges are one of the most predominant method for the heat flux prediction especially for short duration transient temperature measurement. Thin film gauges are usually exposed to the heated environment for the measurement purpose. However, there are some prominent research areas like ablation phenomenon met to spacecraft thermal shields during re-entry to the atmosphere, for which direct exposure of the thin film gauge to the heated environment causes the functional and working difficulties associated with the gauge. In the present study, it is aimed to investigate the suitability of thin film gauge for the conduction-based short duration measurement. An experimental set up is fabricated, which is used to supply the heat load to the hand-made thin film gauge using platinum as sensing element and quartz as a substrate. The transient temperature data is recorded during experiment is further compared with the simulated temperature histories obtained through finite element analysis. The heat flux estimation for both the analysis is made using measured transient temperature data by convolute integral of one- dimensional heat conduction equation. The estimated heat flux value for the experimental and numerical result is found to be in excellent agreement.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document