How Economic is Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage for the In-situ Development of the Nigerian Bitumen Deposit?

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazeem A. Lawal
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
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.

Microfluidic Characterization of Steam-Bitumen Interactions During Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage Operations

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas de Haas ◽  
Hossein Fadeai ◽  
David Sinton
Keyword(s):  
Surface Mining ◽  
Horizontal Wells ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Oil Sand ◽  
Production Well ◽  
Rich Region ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ◽  
Deep Underground

In-situ recovery of heavy-oil and bitumen is used when reserves are too deep underground for conventional surface mining technologies. Steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) is process in which two horizontal wells, one vertically 5m above the other, are drilled into an oil-rich region. Steam is injected into the reservoir from the top well, and an oil steam-condensate mixture is pumped out the production well. The aim of this research is to physically model a section of oil sand in a SAGD operation. An array of micropillars fabricated into a glass microfluidic chip is used to represent the grains of sand. The chip was positioned vertically so that gravity plays a dominate role in drainage. Steam was pumped into the chip, reducing the viscosity of the oil and allowing oil and steam to flow under gravity to the outlet. The position of the steam front and the micro-scale interactions of the steam and oil were recorded over time.

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.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document