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

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
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.

Convection at the Edge of a Steam-Assisted-Gravity-Drainage Steam Chamber

SPE Journal ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 16 (03) ◽  
pp. 503-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jyotsna Sharma ◽  
Ian D. Gates
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Convective Heat Transfer ◽  
Relative Permeability ◽  
Convective Heat ◽  
Injection Well ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Oil Sand ◽  
Production Well ◽  
Steam Chamber ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage

Summary Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) has become the preferred process to recover bitumen from Athabasca deposits in Alberta. The method consists of a lower horizontal production well, typically located approximately 2 m above the base of the oil zone, and an upper horizontal injection well located roughly 5 to 10 m above the production well. Steam flows from the injection well into a steam chamber that surrounds the wells and releases its latent heat to the cool oil sands at the edge of the chamber. This research re-examines heat transfer at the edge of the steam chamber. Specifically, a new theory is derived to account for convection of warm condensate into the oil sand at the edge of the chamber. The results show that, if the injection pressure is higher than the initial reservoir pressure, convective heat transfer can be larger than conductive heat transfer into the oil sand at the edge of the chamber. However, enhancement of the heat-transfer rate by convection may not necessarily imply higher oil rates; this can be explained by relative permeability effects at the chamber edge. As the condensate invades the oil sand, the oil saturation drops and, consequently, the oil relative permeability falls. This, in turn, results in the reduction of the oil mobility, despite the lowered oil viscosity because of higher temperature arising from convective heat transfer.

scholarly journals Expansion Velocity Model of Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage considering Thermal Convection

Geofluids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Dian-Fa Du ◽  
Yao-Zu Zhang ◽  
Li-Na Zhang ◽  
Meng-Ran Xu ◽  
Xin Liu
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Capacity ◽  
Heavy Oil ◽  
Heat Convection ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Steam Chamber ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ◽  
Expansion Speed ◽  
Actual Field ◽  
Horizontal Expansion

Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) is an important method used in the development of heavy oil. A heat transfer model in the SAGD production process is established based on the heat transfer effect caused by the temperature difference at the front edge of the steam chamber and the heat convection effect caused by the pressure difference. The observation well temperature method is used in this model to calculate the horizontal expansion speed of the steam chamber. In this manner, an expansion speed model considering heat convection and heat conduction is established for a steam chamber with a steam-assisted gravity drainage system. By comparing this with the production data extracted from the Fengcheng Oilfield target block, it is verified that the model can be effectively applied for actual field development. Simultaneously, by using the derived model, the temperature distribution at the edge of the steam chamber and production forecast can be predicted. Sensitivity analysis of the expansion rate of the steam chamber demonstrates that the larger the thermal conductivity, the faster is the steam chamber horizontal expansion speed, and the two are positively correlated; the larger the reservoir heat capacity, the slower is the steam chamber horizontal expansion speed. A larger heat capacity of the convective liquid indicates that there are more water components in the convective liquid, the viscosity of the convective liquid is low, and the expansion speed of the steam chamber increases accordingly. This research closely integrates theory with actual field production and provides theoretical support for the development of heavy oil reservoirs.

A New Mathematical Model to Understand the Convective Heat Transfer Mechanism in Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage Process

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaoxiang Zhang ◽  
Huiqing Liu ◽  
Xiaohu Dong ◽  
Huanli Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Convective Heat Transfer ◽  
Analytical Model ◽  
Convective Heat ◽  
Transfer Mechanism ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Heat Transfer Mechanism ◽  
Oil Viscosity ◽  
Steam Chamber ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage

Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) process has been an optimized method to explore heavy oil reservoirs in the world. The oil viscosity reduction and gravity force near the interface of steam–chamber are the main development mechanisms. In classical models, conductive heat transfer plays the only or dominant role in the heat transmission from high-temperature steam to low-temperature oil sands. Although some mathematical studies have paid attention to the convective heat transfer, the role of heat transfer by flowable oil normal to the steam–chamber interface has been given little attention. In SAGD, the viscosity of bitumen can be reduced by several orders of magnitude by the release of latent heat from injected steam. In this study, an analytical model is developed for the heat transfer process induced by flowable oil. Also, in order to accurately simulate the oil viscosity characteristics in steam–chamber, a correlation between oil viscosity and pressure is proposed. Results indicate that the oil mobility plays an important role on the flow normal to interface when the distance is smaller than 6 m. Even under the most extreme circumstances (μw = 0.1127 cp), the flowing of oil normal to steam–chamber interface also cannot be ignored. Comparing to Irani and Ghannadi model, it can be easy to draw the conclusion that the new model consists with the underground test facility (UTF) field data much better. This new analytical model will benefit to understanding the convective heat transfer mechanism in SAGD process.

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