Estimation of pseudo-relative permeability curves through an analytical approach for steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) and solvent aided-steam assisted gravity drainage

Morte, Matthew; Hasçakir, Berna

doi:10.1016/j.juogr.2016.09.004

Cited by 11 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…With the continuous consumption of conventional reservoir resources, the exploitation of unconventional oil, including heavy oil, has become the key to satisfying human demand for hydrocarbon fuels. − According to statistical estimates, the total amount of recoverable heavy oil is almost equal to the remaining reserves of conventional oil in the world. , Presently, the available production methods are mainly based on thermal methods, such as steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), , cyclic steam stimulation (CSS), , and steam flooding. , However, the large heat loss in the upper and lower rock formations of thin oil reservoirs and the reduction of steam quality in deep oil reservoirs cause the thermal methods to be less effective in improving the recovery rate and lowers economic efficiency. , In recent years, the cyclic solvent injection (CSI) process, also known as Huff-n-Puff, has attracted widespread attention owing to its excellent applicability in thin and deep reservoirs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Insight into the Extraction Behaviors of Confined Heavy Oil in the Nanopore by CO₂/C₃H₈in Huff-n-Puff Process

Liu

Zhang

et al. 2022

Energy Fuels

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The residual oil present in localized low-permeability pores in heavy oil reservoirs is a limiting factor in oil recovery. In this study, molecular simulations were used to comprehensively describe the flow mechanisms and potential performance when using CO 2 and C 3 H 8 as solvents to assist the extraction of oil in quartz nanopores. We showed that CO 2 and C 3 H 8 effectively reduced residual oil in pores during the soaking stage. The adsorption of CO 2 on the SiO 2 surface broke the heavy oil away from it, significantly reducing interaction between the surface and the oil and allowing it to flow out. C 3 H 8 broke heavy oil down into individual molecules or small clusters, aiding the oil to flow out of the pore. With insufficient soaking, the reflux phenomenon of oil during the depletion stage caused a high residual oil amount for both the CO 2 and C 3 H 8 simulations. With sufficient soaking within the CO 2 simulation, the CO 2 desorbed from the surface and escaped from the oil, generating a gas phase within the pore that provided a driving force to push the oil out. Sufficient soaking within the C 3 H 8 simulation did not significantly change the amount of residual oil during the depletion stage. The adhesion of residual oil on the pore surface prevented the oil from flowing out of the pore with C 3 H 8 . The synergistic behavior of the CO 2 /C 3 H 8 mixture was explored to better understand the advantages of combining different solvent extraction mechanisms. A combination of 70% CO 2 + 30% C 3 H 8 effectively extracted heavy oil during the soaking stage and had the best recovery in the depletion stage. This study revealed the mechanism of flow interaction between solvents and heavy oil under confined conditions at the molecular level. Furthermore, this study provides helpful information to guide the enhancement of heavy oil recovery.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Insight into the Extraction Behaviors of Confined Heavy Oil in the Nanopore by CO₂/C₃H₈in Huff-n-Puff Process

Liu

Zhang

et al. 2022

Energy Fuels

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“…Permeability and porosity decrease as overburden pressure increases . The influence of stress on permeability has also been studied through stress experiments by some researchers. − Steam temperature is an important factor affecting the recovery of oil during SAGD and an increase in temperature will change the relative permeability of a heavy oil reservoir. − Oil sand samples are relatively loose and it is difficult to conduct displacement experiments without treatment. Therefore, many researchers use a sandpack displacement setup and a steam generator to study the changes of permeability during a steam injection process.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Study on the Variations of Oil Sand Permeability during SAGD Processes

et al. 2021

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The M oil block in Canada contains different sand bodies, and sand bodies with more developed argillaceous interlayers tend to hinder the development of steam chambers in steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), which ultimately leads to lower recovery than expected. Previously, most core flooding experiments for SAGD experimental research were done using sandpacks, while a few literature studies were found to study the oil sand reservoir using natural core samples due to its brittleness after oil washing and its difficulty to operate. In this study, natural oil sand cores belonging to different sand bodies were used to carry out laboratory experiments of steam injection into water-saturated cores, combined with mineral composition testing and computed tomography (CT) scan tests to study the influence of steam temperature, steam injection flow rate, and initial core permeability on liquid permeability of reservoirs. The permeability reduction rates of different sand bodies under the same experimental conditions were also compared, which shows the impact of sedimentary facies on production. The results show that liquid permeability of reservoirs decreases as temperature increases and as the steam injection flow rate increases. The higher the initial gas permeability of a reservoir, the lower the permeability reduction rate. The permeability of the estuary sand bar is generally higher than the tidal flat sand body and is expected to have a less permeability reduction rate during steam injection. This study provides important information for parameter optimization design and development of oil sand reservoirs.

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Using propanol as an additive to CO2 for improving CO2 utilization and storage in oil reservoirs

et al. 2022

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Estimation of pseudo-relative permeability curves through an analytical approach for steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) and solvent aided-steam assisted gravity drainage

Cited by 11 publications

References 37 publications

Molecular Insight into the Extraction Behaviors of Confined Heavy Oil in the Nanopore by CO₂/C₃H₈in Huff-n-Puff Process

Molecular Insight into the Extraction Behaviors of Confined Heavy Oil in the Nanopore by CO₂/C₃H₈in Huff-n-Puff Process

Experimental Study on the Variations of Oil Sand Permeability during SAGD Processes

Using propanol as an additive to CO2 for improving CO2 utilization and storage in oil reservoirs

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Estimation of pseudo-relative permeability curves through an analytical approach for steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) and solvent aided-steam assisted gravity drainage

Cited by 11 publications

References 37 publications

Molecular Insight into the Extraction Behaviors of Confined Heavy Oil in the Nanopore by CO2/C3H8in Huff-n-Puff Process

Molecular Insight into the Extraction Behaviors of Confined Heavy Oil in the Nanopore by CO2/C3H8in Huff-n-Puff Process

Experimental Study on the Variations of Oil Sand Permeability during SAGD Processes

Using propanol as an additive to CO2 for improving CO2 utilization and storage in oil reservoirs

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Product

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Molecular Insight into the Extraction Behaviors of Confined Heavy Oil in the Nanopore by CO₂/C₃H₈in Huff-n-Puff Process

Molecular Insight into the Extraction Behaviors of Confined Heavy Oil in the Nanopore by CO₂/C₃H₈in Huff-n-Puff Process