Characterization of residual organic matter in oil sands steam assisted gravity drainage produced water treated by ceramic nanofiltration membranes

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.

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

Energy & Fuels ◽

10.1021/ef4002154 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 27 (7) ◽

pp. 3883-3890 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

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

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Economic and environmental analysis of a Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) facility for oil recovery from Canadian oil sands

Applied Energy ◽

10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.12.057 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 142 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 73

Author(s):

Giancarlo Giacchetta ◽

Mariella Leporini ◽

Barbara Marchetti

Keyword(s):

Environmental Analysis ◽

Oil Recovery ◽

Oil Sands ◽

Gravity Drainage ◽

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage

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Phase Analysis of Scale Deposition in Boiler Tubes Utilizing Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage Produced Water

Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering Applications ◽

10.1115/1.4034598 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Raymond Kuriger ◽

David Young ◽

Malcolm Mackenzie ◽

Hamid Sarv ◽

Jason Trembly

Keyword(s):

Heat Transfer ◽

Produced Water ◽

Magnesium Silicate ◽

Solid Content ◽

Operating Conditions ◽

Gravity Drainage ◽

Dissolved Solids ◽

X Ray ◽

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ◽

Boiler Tubes

Scale buildup on water-side heat transfer surfaces poses a potential operating challenge for steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) boilers used in the production of bitumen since produced water, which has a high dissolved solid content, is recycled. Scale from deposition of dissolved solids on boiler tubes acts as a thermal insulating layer, decreasing heat transfer and lowering boiler efficiency. Understanding scale deposit composition on heat transfer surfaces is beneficial in the determination of adequate boiler maintenance practices and operating parameters. This research determined the effect of feedwater pH (7.5, 9.0, and 10.0) on scale composition resulting from deposition of dissolved solids under commercially relevant boiler operating conditions at 8.96 MPa (1300 psig) and 37.86 kW/m2 (12,000 Btu/h ft2). Scale deposits were analytically investigated using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. At feedwater pH values of 7.5 and 9.0, anhydrite (CaSO4), xonotlite (Ca6Si6O17(OH)2), and pectolite (NaCa2Si3O8(OH)) were detected. At the pH of 10.0, xonotlite and pectolite were identified in the absence of anhydrite. Furthermore, the magnesium silicate phase, serpentine (Mg3Si2O5(OH)4), was also postulated to be present.

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Numerical Simulation of Thermal Solvent Replacing Steam under Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage SAGD Process

10.4043/133453-ms ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

Weiqiang Li ◽

Daulat D. Mamora

Keyword(s):

High Temperature ◽

Oil Recovery ◽

Oil Sands ◽

Steam Injection ◽

Thermal Recovery ◽

Production Performance ◽

Gravity Drainage ◽

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ◽

Recovery Technique ◽

Simulation Results

Abstract Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) is one successful thermal recovery technique applied in the Athabasca oil sands in Canada to produce the very viscous bitumen. Water for SAGD is limited in supply and expensive to treat and to generate steam. Consequently, we conducted a study into injecting high-temperature solvent instead of steam to recover Athabasca oil. In this study, hexane (C6) coinjection at condensing condition is simulated using CMG STARS to analyze the drainage mechanism inside the vapor-solvent chamber. The production performance is compared with an equivalent steam injection case based on the same Athabasca reservoir condition. Simulation results show that C6 is vaporized and transported into the vapor-solvent chamber. At the condensing condition, high temperature C6 reduces the viscosity of the bitumen more efficiently than steam and can displace out all the original oil. The oil production rate with C6 injection is about 1.5 to 2 times that of steam injection with oil recovery factor of about 100% oil initially-in-place. Most of the injected C6 can be recycled from the reservoir and from the produced oil, thus significantly reduce the solvent cost. Results of our study indicate that high-temperature solvent injection appears feasible although further technical and economic evaluation of the process is required.

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Effect of Mud Clasts on Stochastic Permeability Modeling for Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) Production Forecasting in the Athabasca Oil Sands, Canada

10.3997/2214-4609-pdb.148.iptc12332 ◽

2008 ◽

Author(s):

K. Kashihara ◽

K. Hosokoshi

Keyword(s):

Oil Sands ◽

Gravity Drainage ◽

Athabasca Oil Sands ◽

Permeability Modeling ◽

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ◽

Production Forecasting

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

SPE Journal ◽

10.2118/194016-pa ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 24 (02) ◽

pp. 477-491 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

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.

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Effect of Mud Clasts on Stochastic Permeability Modeling for Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) Production Forecasting in the Athabasca Oil Sands, Canada

10.2523/iptc-12332-ms ◽

2008 ◽

Author(s):

Koji Kashihara ◽

Koji Hosokoshi

Keyword(s):

Oil Sands ◽

Gravity Drainage ◽

Athabasca Oil Sands ◽

Permeability Modeling ◽

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ◽

Production Forecasting

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Evaluation of Induced Thermal Pressurization in Clearwater Shale Caprock in Electromagnetic Steam-Assisted Gravity-Drainage Projects

SPE Journal ◽

10.2118/156876-pa ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 19 (03) ◽

pp. 443-462 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Sahar Ghannadi ◽

Mazda Irani ◽

Rick Chalaturnyk

Keyword(s):

Pore Pressure ◽

Analytical Solutions ◽

Oil Sands ◽

Shear Failure ◽

Gravity Drainage ◽

Hydraulic Fractures ◽

Low Permeability ◽

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ◽

Thermal Pressurization ◽

Shale Formation

Summary Inductive methods, such as electromagnetic steam-assisted gravity drainage (EM-SAGD), have been identified as technically and economically feasible recovery methods for shallow oil-sands reservoirs with overburdens of more than 30 m (Koolman et al. 2008). However, in EM-SAGD projects, the caprock overlying oil-sands reservoirs is also electromagnetically heated along with the bitumen reservoir. Because permeability is low in Alberta thermal-project caprock formations (i.e., the Clearwater shale formation in the Athabasca deposit and the Colorado shale formation in the Cold Lake deposit), the pore pressure resulting from the thermal expansion of pore fluids may not be balanced with the fluid loss caused by flow and the fluid-volume changes resulting from pore dilation. In extreme cases, the water boils, and the pore pressure increases dramatically as a result of the phase change in the water, which causes profound effective-stress reduction. After this condition is established, pore pressure increases can lead to shear failure of the caprock, the creation of microcracks and hydraulic fractures, and subsequent caprock integrity failure. It is typically believed that low-permeability caprocks impede the transmission of pore pressure from the reservoir, making them more resistant to shear failure (Collins 2005, 2007). In cases of induced thermal pressurization, low-permeability caprocks are not always more resistant. In this study, analytical solutions are obtained for temperature and pore-pressure rises caused by the constant EM heating rate of the caprock. These analytical solutions show that pore-pressure increases from EM heating depend on the permeability and compressibility of the caprock formation. For stiff or low-compressibility media, thermal pressurization can cause fluid pressures to approach hydrostatic pressure, and shear strength to approach zero for low-cohesive-strength units of the caprock (units of the caprock with high silt and sand percentage) and sections of the caprock with pre-existing fractures with no cohesion.

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