On the detectability of density change in steam-assisted gravity drainage reservoirs using muon tomography

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 497-504
Author(s):  
Sara Pieczonka ◽  
Doug Schouten ◽  
Oday Dabboor ◽  
Duncan Osler ◽  
Alexander Braun
Keyword(s):  
Density Change ◽  
Mass Change ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Detector Arrays ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ◽  
Array Configuration ◽  
Muon Tomography ◽  
Inverse Models ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
True Mass

Muon tomography is applied to realistic density models of a steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) reservoir at 1.25 and 5 years after initial reservoir production. Forward models of muon count and opacity based on the density models are computed, as well as inverse models of the synthetic muon observations for various simulated detector arrays. The results demonstrate that both phases of reservoir development, namely the rising phase and the spreading phase, can be resolved by muon detectors placed 30 m below the bitumen reservoir at 230 m total vertical depth. The total mass change in the reservoir was recovered from the inversion model and differs from the true mass change by 20%–29%. The spatial distribution of density change shows very good agreement in the horizontal direction, while the vertical is less well constrained in this modeled sensor array configuration. The inverse models provide improved insights into reservoir depletion patterns and indicate muon tomography to be an applicable tool for continuous reservoir monitoring. The numerical modeling approach developed herein is able to model a wide range of SAGD reservoir geometries and detector arrays toward planning of optimized monitoring solutions.

Mathematical Modeling of Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage

2005 ◽  
Vol 8 (05) ◽  
pp. 372-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serhat Akin
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Heavy Oil ◽  
Steam Injection ◽  
Viscosity Reduction ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Heavy Oils ◽  
Production Well ◽  
Steam Chamber ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ◽  
Wide Range

Summary A mathematical model for gravity drainage in heavy-oil reservoirs and tar sands during steam injection in linear geometry is proposed. The mathematical model is based on the experimental observations that the steam-zone shape is an inverted triangle with the vertex fixed at the bottom production well. Both temperature and asphaltene content dependence on the viscosity of the drained heavy oil are considered. The developed model has been validated with experimental data presented in the literature. The heavy-oil production rate conforms well to previously published data covering a wide range of heavy oils and sands for gravity drainage. Introduction Gravity drainage of heavy oils is of considerable interest to the oil industry. Because heavy oils are very viscous and, thus, almost immobile, a recovery mechanism is required that lowers the viscosity of the material to the point at which it can flow easily to a production well. Conventional thermal processes, such as cyclic steam injection and steam-assisted gravity drainage(SAGD), are based on thermal viscosity reduction. Cyclic steam injection incorporates a drive enhancement from thermal expansion. On the other hand, SAGD is based on horizontal wells and maximizing the use of gravity forces. In the ideal SAGD process, a growing steam chamber forms around the horizontal injector, and steam flows continuously to the perimeter of the chamber, where it condenses and heats the surrounding oil. Effective initial heating of the cold oil is important for the formation of the steam chamber in gravity-drainage processes. Heat is transferred by conduction, by convection, and by the latent heat of steam. The heated oil drains to a horizontal production well located at the base of the reservoir just below the injection well. Based on the aforementioned concepts, Butler et al. derived Eq. 1 assuming that the steam pressure is constant in the steam chamber, that only steam flows in the steam chamber, that oil saturation is residual, and that heat transfer ahead of the steam chamber to cold oil is only by conduction. One physical analogy of this process is that of a reservoir in which an electric heating element is placed horizontally above a parallel horizontal producing well.

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.

Dissolved Organic Matter in Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage Boiler Blow-Down Water

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (7) ◽  
pp. 3883-3890 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subhayan Guha Thakurta ◽  
Abhijit Maiti ◽  
David J. Pernitsky ◽  
Subir Bhattacharjee
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Blow Down ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage

Investigation of Emulsion Flow in Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage

SPE Journal ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (03) ◽  
pp. 440-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.C.. C. Ezeuko ◽  
J.. Wang ◽  
I.D.. D. Gates
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ◽  
Emulsion Flow ◽  
Very High ◽  
Effective Representation

Summary We present a numerical simulation approach that allows incorporation of emulsion modeling into steam-assisted gravity-drainage (SAGD) simulations with commercial reservoir simulators by means of a two-stage pseudochemical reaction. Numerical simulation results show excellent agreement with experimental data for low-pressure SAGD, accounting for approximately 24% deficiency in simulated oil recovery, compared with experimental data. Incorporating viscosity alteration, multiphase effect, and enthalpy of emulsification appears sufficient for effective representation of in-situ emulsion physics during SAGD in very-high-permeability systems. We observed that multiphase effects appear to dominate the viscosity effect of emulsion flow under SAGD conditions of heavy-oil (bitumen) recovery. Results also show that in-situ emulsification may play a vital role within the reservoir during SAGD, increasing bitumen mobility and thereby decreasing cumulative steam/oil ratio (cSOR). Results from this work extend understanding of SAGD by examining its performance in the presence of in-situ emulsification and associated flow of emulsion with bitumen in porous media.

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