Introduction To Thermal Recovery
Introduction To Thermal Recovery
Recovery
CHAPTER 1
Recovery Methods
Recovery mechanisms
Recovery
IOR Methods
Pressure
Secondary maintenance
Recovery
Waterflooding
Tertiary
EOR Methods Recovery
Thermal
EOR
Insitu
Steam
Combustion
Thermal EOR
Thermal
EOR
Insitu
Steam
Combustion
ko A dpo
qo
o dx
Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS)
Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS)
Source: reference 1
CSS
Mechanisms
Thermal expansion
Viscosity reduction
Gas out of solution
Wellbore cleanup
Gravity drainage
Compaction
Wettability changes
Flashing water
Relative permeability hysterisis
Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS)
rh heated radius
re
re drainage radius
rh rw wellbore radius
o oil vis cos ity
re
o (cold ) ln
q0 (hot )
rw
q0 (cold ) rh re
o (hot ) ln o (cold ) ln
rw rh
Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS)
rh heated radius ( ft )
Q f net amount of heat available to formation ( Btu )
M s Heat capacity per cubic feet of steam saturated rock ( Btu / ft F )
re
Ts Steam temperatur e ( F )
T Re servoir temperatur e ( F )
h Formation thickness ( ft )
rh
Qf
rh
M s (Ts T ) h
CSS-Example
Example
Value
Property
Average Porosity (%) 34.4
Average Horizontal Permeability (d) 6.95
Kh : Kv ~ 5:1
Average Thickness (m) 15
Depth (m) 200
Rock Compressibility (kPa-1) 1x10-5
Rock heat capacity (J/m3 C) 2.347x106
Thermal conductivity of reservoir rock (J/m day C) 6.6x105
CSS Simulation
Example
100000
10000
1000
Viscosity (cp)
100
10
0.1
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Temperature (C)
The initial pressure in the simulation model was set at 2,150 kPa and the initial
temperature was assumed constant at 20C.
Model: One horizontal injector and one horizontal producer well with an injector and
producer inter-well distance of 100 m. The length of the wells is 200 m. A 2D 22 x
1 x 11 grid was used in the simulations.
CSS Simulation
Example
Operating constraints
CSS Cycle
Operating constraint
Steam Injection Rate (m3/day) 200
Maximum Bottom Hole Injection 3,500
Pressure (BHPmax) (kPa)
Maximum Liquid Production Rate 80
(m3/day)
Minimum Producer BHP (BHPmin) 500
(kPa)
Specified Injection Temperature (C) 180
Steam Quality (fraction) 0.80
Time of Injection 30 days / cycle
Soak period (days) 15
CSS Simulation
Example
CSS Simulation
Example
CSS Simulation
Example
CSS
Source: reference 1
Mechanisms
Oil viscosity reduction
Distillation process
Steam Flooding (steam drive)
Source: reference 1
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD)
SAGD
If steam were injected above, but close to, a producing well, the steam
would rise, and the condensate, together with the bitumen would fall
into the producer
During Butler’s time, horizontal well technology was very immature, so
many people didn’t believe it could work. Only after UTF demonstrated
its feasibility using underground tunnels, people started to take SAGD
seriously.
The major concern during that time was whether the steam would
breakthrough into the producer or not.
If the condensate and oil are not removed too quickly, you can avoid
steam breakthrough at the producing well
Although the injector and producer are fairly close, the mechanism will
cause the steam chamber to expand gradually and eventually drain a
very large volume
Advantage: the injector and producer do not have to span the drainage
area
SAGD
Continuous steam
injection into steam
chamber
Steam flows to interface
and condenses at
interface
Heated oil and
condensate drain to
producer
Flow is caused by gravity Source: reference 2
(not pressure!)
Chamber grows upwards
and laterally
SAGD projects in Alberta
SAGD is an early commercial process
Steam chamber
Steam
2So kgh
q
mvS
(at y = 0 (bottom of steam chamber))
Zone 1, combustion
zone, where the oxygen
is consumed, highest
temperature zone (300-
650 ˚C)
Zone 2, Hot and clean
sand that heats the
injected air
Zone 3, Fluids are
vaporized, coke left
behind
Zone 4, heat is released Source: reference 1
Zone 5, oil bank
Insitu Combustion
Source: reference 1
Insitu Combustion
Wet Combustion
Source: reference 1
Insitu Combustion
Mechanisms
Oil viscosity reduction
Oil swelling
Extraction
Miscible displacement
No capillary forces
Cyclic Solvent Injection (CSI)
depth ~
400 - 600 m
thickness ~
2-7m
Vapor Extraction (VAPEX)
Solvent vapour
Injector Oil sand
Producer
Steam & Solvent
Hybrid Processes
HEAT
Solvent Steam
(VAPEX) VAPEX SAGD (SAGD)
Plus Steam Plus Solvent
References
1. Applied Enhanced Oil Recovery, Aurel Carmona
2. Thermal Recovery of Oil and Bitumen, Roger Butler
3. Enhanced Oil Recover, Larry Lake
4. Thermal Recovery, Prats