THE ANALYSIS OF THERMAL FIELDS AT THE PRIMARY STAGE OF THE STEAM-ASSISTED GRAVITY DRAINAGE PROCESS

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-42
Author(s):  
Alexander Ya. GILMANOV ◽  
Konstantin M. FEDOROV ◽  
Alexander P. SHEVELEV
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Distribution ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Stage Duration ◽  
Minimum Duration ◽  
Primary Stage ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ◽  
Thermal Fields ◽  
Unbounded Medium ◽  
Well Pattern ◽  
First Time

This article analyzes the temperature distribution in a producer well at the primary stage of the steam-assisted gravity drainage process. The increase in share of hard-to-recover reserves requires using steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). Its successful application, in turn, depends on warming up the inter-well zone, which demands steam circulation in both wells at the primary stage of the process. The duration of this stage affects the transition to oil production and the profitability of the process, which emphasizes the importance of analyzing thermal fields at this stage to assess its duration. The existing research does not allow estimating the temperature in the producer, using the correct formulation of the problem. This paper presents the temperature distribution in a producer for SAGD for classical and chess well patterns for the first time. The aim of the work is to choose a development system for the minimum duration of primary stage of SAGD. For this purpose, the fundamental solution of the non-stationary heat equation for a continuous stationary point source in an unbounded medium is used. The estimation of temperature, at which oil becomes mobile, allows determining the primary stage duration. The authors compare the classical and chess well patterns. In addition, they have obtained the temperature distribution in producer. The results show that classical well pattern provides faster heating of inter-well zone. It is determined that the closest injection well has the greatest influence on the temperature in the producing well.

Analysis of dimensionless similarity complexes’ influence on steam-assisted gravity drainage using the integral model

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 143-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Ya. Gilmanov ◽  
Konstantin M. Fedorov ◽  
Alexander P. Shevelev
Keyword(s):  
Future Application ◽  
Integral Model ◽  
Real Field ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Technological Parameters ◽  
Sweep Efficiency ◽  
Development System ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ◽  
Well Pattern ◽  
Dimensionless Similarity

This article analyzes dimensionless complexes of similarity sensitivity of steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) model. The application of SAGD for development of hard-to-recover reserves is complicated by the need to choose a rational development system. Therefore, the task of modeling the process of SAGD with subsequent analysis of sensitivity of technological indexes from the essential parameters and characteristics of the reservoir is relevant. Existing works have not conducted a comprehensive analysis of all values influence. Such analysis is conducted for the first time in this article. This work aims to analyze the influence of main characteristics (steam injection rate, steam temperature, well pattern, depression and repression on wells, reservoir thickness, heat capacity) on technological parameters of SAGD. The main methods include de-dimensioning of the physical and mathematical model of the process and calculations using an explicit finite-difference scheme. Dimensionless similarity complexes with a significant contribution to SAGD are distinguished. Values of sweep efficiency and cost-effective time at different values of selected dimensionless complexes of similarity are defined. The greatest influence on SAGD is affected by three dimensionless similarity complexes, characterizing respectively the ratio of water and oil flows, heat losses vertically and horizontally, and the development system. The results show that there are some effective values of depression on the formation and the distance between pairs of wells. Based on the results of calculations, the authors provide recommendations for the future application of the method on a real field.

scholarly journals Policy Insights to Accelerate Cleaner Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage Operations

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 86
Author(s):  
Marwa Hannouf ◽  
Getachew Assefa ◽  
Ian Gates
Keyword(s):  
Oil Sands ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Time Factors ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ◽  
Technology Deployment ◽  
The Past ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Oil Sands Bitumen ◽  
First Time

The literature is replete with concerns on the environmental impact of steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), but rigorous analysis of its improved environmental performance over the past 20 years remains unresolved, as well as the underlying technological reasons for this improvement. Here, we present an analysis of historical and future greenhouse gas (GHG) performance of SAGD operations in Alberta, Canada, considering for the first-time factors that affected technology deployment. Depending on the case, the results show a reduction of 1.4–24% of SAGD GHG intensity over the past 12 years. Improvements mainly arise from incremental changes adopted based on technical, environmental, socio-economic, and policy drivers. Considering these factors, we propose policy interventions to accelerate further reductions of GHG emissions. However, if similar behaviour from industry continues, anticipated GHG intensity reduction will range between 6.5–40% by 2030, leading to an intensity between 58 and 68 kgCO2e/bbl. It still remains unclear if in situ oil sands bitumen extraction will reach current conventional oil emission intensities. Thus, we suggest that the SAGD industry drastically accelerate its deployment of cleaner oil sands extraction technologies considering the policy insights proposed.

IMPACT OF EXTERNAL TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION ON THE TURBULENT AND THERMAL FIELDS IN A VERTICAL UNIFORMLY HEATED CHANNEL

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Thebault ◽  
Stephanie Giroux-Julien ◽  
Victoria Timchenko ◽  
Christophe Menezo ◽  
John Reizes
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Distribution ◽  
External Temperature ◽  
Thermal Fields ◽  
Heated Channel

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.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document