scholarly journals Numerical Study of Single Well Vapor Extraction Process

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milad Rahnema ◽  
Hamed Rahnema ◽  
Marcia D. Mcmillan ◽  
Ali Reza Edrisi ◽  
Hamid Rahnema
Keyword(s):  
Horizontal Well ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Early Time ◽  
Oil Production ◽  
Extraction Process ◽  
Injection Rate ◽  
Vapor Extraction ◽  
Oil Viscosity ◽  
Well Completion ◽  
Single Well

Vapor extraction (Vapex) is an emerging technology to produce heavy oil and bitumen from subsurface formations. Single well (SW) Vapex technique uses the same concept of Vapex process but only with one horizontal well. In this process solvent is injected from the toe of the horizontal well with oil production at the heel section. The main advantage of SW-Vapex process lies in the economic saving and applicability in problematic reservoirs, where drilling of two horizontal wells is impractical. The performance of SW-Vapex seems to be comparable with dual horizontal Vapex process using proper optimization schemes. This study is grouped into two sections: (i) a screening study of early time operating performance of SW-Vapex and (ii) a sensitivity analysis of the effect of the reservoir and well completion parameters. Simulation results show that solvent injection rate can be optimized to improve oil production rate. Higher injection rates may not necessarily lead to increase in production. This study confirms that SW-Vapex process is very ineffective in reservoirs with high oil viscosity (more than 1,500 cp) and thin formations (less than 10 m).

Revisiting the Butler-Mokrys Model for the Vapor-Extraction Process

SPE Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (02) ◽  
pp. 511-521
Author(s):  
V.. Mohan ◽  
P.. Neogi ◽  
B.. Bai
Keyword(s):  
Concentration Profile ◽  
Heavy Oil ◽  
Extraction Process ◽  
Previous Model ◽  
Oil Reservoir ◽  
Vapor Extraction ◽  
Oil Viscosity ◽  
Solvent Vapor ◽  
Vapor Interface ◽  
Heavy Oil Reservoir

Summary The dynamics of a process in which a solvent in the form of a vapor or gas is introduced in a heavy-oil reservoir is considered. The process is called the solvent vapor-extraction process (VAPEX). When the vapor dissolves in the oil, it reduces its viscosity, allowing oil to flow under gravity and be collected at the bottom producer well. The conservation-of-species equation is analyzed to obtain a more-appropriate equation that differentiates between the velocity within the oil and the velocity at the interface, which can be solved to obtain a concentration profile of the solvent in oil. We diverge from an earlier model in which the concentration profile is assumed. However, the final result provides the rate at which oil is collected, which agrees with the previous model in that it is proportional to h, where h is the pay-zone height; in contrast, some of the later data show a dependence on h. Improved velocity profiles can capture this dependence. A dramatic increase in output is seen if the oil viscosity decreases in the presence of the solvent, although the penetration of the solvent into the oil is reduced because under such conditions the diffusivity decreases with decreased solvent. One other important feature we observe is that when the viscosity-reducing effect is very large, the recovered fluid is mainly solvent. Apparently, some optimum might exist in the solubility φo, where the ratio of oil recovered to solvent lost is the largest. Finally, the present approach also allows us to show how the oil/vapor interface evolves with time.

scholarly journals A steam rising model of steam-assisted gravity drainage production for heavy oil reservoirs

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 801-818
Author(s):  
Ren-Shi Nie ◽  
Yi-Min Wang ◽  
Yi-Li Kang ◽  
Yong-Lu Jia
Keyword(s):  
Production Rate ◽  
Horizontal Well ◽  
Oil Production ◽  
Steam Injection ◽  
Injection Rate ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Steam Quality ◽  
Steam Chamber ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage

The steam chamber rising process is an essential feature of steam-assisted gravity drainage. The development of a steam chamber and its production capabilities have been the focus of various studies. In this paper, a new analytical model is proposed that mimics the steam chamber development and predicts the oil production rate during the steam chamber rising stage. The steam chamber was assumed to have a circular geometry relative to a plane. The model includes determining the relation between the steam chamber development and the production capability. The daily oil production, steam oil ratio, and rising height of the steam chamber curves influenced by different model parameters were drawn. In addition, the curve sensitivities to different model parameters were thoroughly considered. The findings are as follows: The daily oil production increases with the steam injection rate, the steam quality, and the degree of utilization of a horizontal well. In addition, the steam oil ratio decreases with the steam quality and the degree of utilization of a horizontal well. Finally, the rising height of the steam chamber increases with the steam injection rate and steam quality, but decreases with the horizontal well length. The steam chamber rising rate, the location of the steam chamber interface, the rising time, and the daily oil production at a certain steam injection rate were also predicted. An example application showed that the proposed model is able to predict the oil production rate and describe the steam chamber development during the steam chamber rising stage.

Application of the Imitation Horizontal well Technique in the Development of Low Permeability Reservoirs

2013 ◽  
Vol 734-737 ◽  
pp. 1350-1353
Author(s):  
Yan Dong ◽  
An Zhu Xu
Keyword(s):  
Horizontal Well ◽  
Influence Factors ◽  
Oil Production ◽  
Low Permeability ◽  
Daily Production ◽  
Drainage Radius ◽  
Well Pattern ◽  
Single Well ◽  
Lower Permeability ◽  
Low Permeability Reservoirs

The fluid flowing resistance increase and the water absorbing capacity reduce due to the threshold pressure gradient and media deformation of the low permeability reservoirs in the course of development. The oil production of vertical wells may decrease fastly and the controlled reservers are hard to recover. The development effects are not satisfied. Through great fracturing measurements create many fractures, and fractures extended along the direction of well line, the long fracture channels were formed like horizontal well segments. This kind of long fracture was called as horizontal segment of imitation horizontal well. It can broad drainage radius in production well and increase controlled reserves and daily oil production of single well. In this paper, the influence factors of the low permeablity reservoirs development by imitation horizontal wells were analysised. Through well pattern, well distance, line distance, injector and producer parameters and fracturing parameters of imitation horizontal well optimization, drainage radius in lower permeability reservoirs can be reached to 200 meters, the daily production in single well can increase two times of that before, and the production result was improved greatly in lower permeability reservoirs development.

A Proposed Method for Simulation of Rate-Controlled Production Valves for Reduced Water Cut

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Ali Moradi ◽  
Britt M. E. Moldestad
Keyword(s):  
Multiphase Flow ◽  
Pid Controller ◽  
Horizontal Well ◽  
Oil Production ◽  
Well Completion ◽  
Autonomous Behavior ◽  
Water Breakthrough ◽  
Rate Controlled ◽  
Water Cut ◽  
D 12

Summary In recent years, the advancement of horizontal-well technology has played a major role in making oil production economically feasible from many reservoirs. One of the major problems that can reduce the efficiency of using horizontal wells is gas and water coning caused by the heel-toe effect and heterogeneity along the well. To tackle this problem, Equinor’s autonomous inflow-control device (ICD) (AICD), known as rate-controlled production (RCP) valves, is widely used today. RCP valves can effectively delay the early water breakthrough and partially choke back water autonomously after water breakthrough. To fulfill a suitable design of a long horizontal well with the RCP completion, a detailed understanding of multiphase-flow behavior from the reservoir pore to the wellbore and production tubing is needed. Coupling a dynamic multiphase-flow simulator such as the OLGASM (Schlumberger Limited, Sugar Land, Texas, USA) simulator with the near-wellbore reservoir module such as the OLGA ROCX module provides a robust tool for achieving this purpose. However, there is no predefined option in the OLGA simulator for implementing the autonomous behavior of the RCP valves directly. Therefore, creating a model of oil production by considering well completion with the RCP valves in the OLGA simulator is challenging. In the previous works, this has been performed by using the Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) Controller option in the OLGA simulator, which controls the opening of an equivalent orifice valve according to the fixed value of the water cut. However, because of the performance of the PID Controller using a fixed setpoint and the difficulties in properly tuning the PID Controller, choosing this option leads to a large degree of inaccuracy in the simulation models. In this paper, by proposing a novel method with a developed mathematical model and a control function for the RCP valves, the autonomous behavior of these valves is implemented in the OLGA simulator. In this new approach, the control signals are calculated using the variation of water cut and introduced to the OLGA simulator through the Table Controller option instead of the PID Controller. The presented approach in this paper can be used for the simulation of water-cut (or gas/oil-ratio) reduction potential of all RCP-type AICDs in reservoirs with different characteristics. However, to explain the procedure of this approach in detail, the near-well oil production from Well 16/2-D-12 in the Johan Sverdrup Field (JSF) considering RCP completion is modeled as a case study. In this study, the simulation model is developed using one of the commonly used types of RCP valves called the TR7 RCP valve. Version 2016.1.1 of the OLGA simulator/ROCX module is used (Schlumberger 2016). According to the simulation results, compared with using ICDs, by the completion of Well 16/2-D-12 with RCPs, the water cut, water-flow rate, and accumulated water production can be reduced by 2.9, 13.3, and 12.1%, respectively, after 750 days. The results also showed that by using the proposed approach, the autonomous behavior of the RCP valves according to the water-cut variations can be appropriately implemented in the OLGA simulator. This can help engineers and researchers to achieve a better design of a long horizontal well using the RCP completion. Consequently, using this approach can be beneficial for improving technology, optimizing production, minimizing risk, and reducing costs in oil recovery.

Performance of a Horizontal Well in Bounded Reservoir Subject to Edge Water Drive

2013 ◽  
Vol 824 ◽  
pp. 365-372
Author(s):  
D.O. Onaiwu ◽  
E. Steve Adewole ◽  
O.A. Olafuyi
Keyword(s):  
Horizontal Well ◽  
Oil Production ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
Dimensionless Time ◽  
Fluid Movement ◽  
Well Completion ◽  
Dimensionless Pressure ◽  
Well Design ◽  
Well Spacing ◽  
Infinite Conductivity

When a reservoir is subject to edge water drive mechanism, well completion for the purpose of optimizing oil production becomes a critical objective. Achieving this objective will require a comprehensive knowledge of fluid movement in the reservoir. Effective well spacing and design, production or injection, transient test analyses possibilities and rate scheduling are additional benefits that can be derived from knowledge of fluid movement and dynamics. Source and greens functions are utilized in deriving the appropriate dimensionless pressure expressions for the reservoir system. Finally, dimensionless pressure derivatives are computed based on the dimensionless pressure expressions. Two-edged lateral water encroachment pattern is assumed for a centrally located horizontal well, occurring both at the toe and at the heel of the well. Influences of both reservoir and wellbore properties are investigated for infinite conductivity wellbore condition. Results show on the derivative that, flow is characterized first by infinite acting flow (constant value of 0.5) before a mandatory rapid decline to zero for all well and reservoir dimensions considered. The period of infinite activity, that is, period of clean oil production, is extended if the reservoir is much larger than the length of the well. Furthermore, dimensionless time of attainment of steady state for all well design is strongly dependent on the reservoir external extent and reservoir anisotropy under constant rate regime.

Characteristics of Dimensionless Pressure Gradients and Derivatives of Horizontal and Vertical Wells Completed within Inclined Sealing Faults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A V Ogbamikhumi ◽  
E S Adewole
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Horizontal Well ◽  
Superposition Principle ◽  
Early Time ◽  
Pressure Gradients ◽  
Vertical Wells ◽  
Pressure Derivative ◽  
Vertical Well ◽  
Dimensionless Pressure ◽  
Horizontal And Vertical Wells

Abstract Dimensionless pressure gradients and dimensionless pressure derivatives characteristics are studied for horizontal and vertical wells completed within a pair of no-flow boundaries inclined at a general angle ‘θ’. Infinite-acting flow solution of each well is utilized. Image distances as a result of the inclinations are considered. The superposition principle is further utilized to calculate total pressure drop due to flow from both object and image wells. Characteristic dimensionless flow pressure gradients and pressure derivatives for the wells are finally determined. The number of images formed due to the inclination and dimensionless well design affect the dimensionless pressure gradients and their derivatives. For n images, shortly after very early time for each inclination, dimensionless pressure gradients of 1.151(N+1)/LD for the horizontal well and 1.151(N+1) for vertical well are observed. Dimensionless pressure derivative of (N+1)/2LD are observed for central and off-centered horizontal well locations, and (N+1)/2 for vertical well are observed. Central well locations do not affect horizontal well productivity for all the inclinations. The magnitudes of dimensionless pressure drop and dimensionless pressure derivatives are maximum at the farthest image distances, and are unaffected by well stand-off for the horizontal well.

Steady State Analysis of Heated Soil Vapor Extraction Process With Air Sparging

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Mohan Das ◽  
R. S. Amano ◽  
T. Roy ◽  
J. Jatkar
Keyword(s):  
Extraction Process ◽  
Soil Vapor Extraction ◽  
Air Sparging ◽  
Saturated Zone ◽  
Vapor Extraction ◽  
Combined System ◽  
Discrete Phase Modeling ◽  
Discrete Phase ◽  
Time Required ◽  
Heated Soil

Heated Soil Vapor Extraction (HSVE), developed by Advanced Remedial Technology is a Soil remediation process that has gained significant attention during the past few years. HSVE along with Air sparging has been found to be an effective way of remediating soil of various pollutants including solvents, fuels and Para-nuclear aromatics. The combined system consists of a heater/boiler that pumps and circulates hot oil through heating wells, a blower that helps to suck the contaminants out through the extraction well, and air sparging wells that extend down to the saturated region in the soil. Both the heating wells and extraction wells are installed vertically in the saturated region in contaminated soil and is welded at the bottom and capped at the top. The heat source heats the soil and the heat is transported inside the soil by means of conduction and convection. This heating of soil results in vaporization of the gases, which are then absorbed by the extraction well. Soil vapor extraction cannot remove contaminants in the saturated zone of the soil that lies below the water table. In that case air sparging may be used. In air sparging system, air is pumped into the saturated zone to help flush the contaminants up into the unsaturated zone where the contaminants are removed by SVE well. In this analysis an attempt has been made to predict the behavior of different chemicals in the unsaturated and saturated regions of the soil. This analysis uses the species transport and discrete phase modeling to predict the behavior of different chemicals when it is heated and absorbed by the extraction well. Such an analysis will be helpful in predicting the parameters like the distance between the heating and extraction wells, the temperature to be maintained at the heating well and the time required for removing the contaminants from the soil.

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