Experimental Investigation and Numerical Simulation of Dynamic Characteristics for Multithermal Fluid-Assisted SAGD in Extraheavy Oil Reservoir

Abstract

Loss of the vast majority of heat and steam is an unavoidable problem encountered during conventional steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) in extraheavy oil reservoirs. The noncondensate gas coinjection technique of reducing energy consumption and enhancing oil recovery can effectively solve this problem. Aiming at extraheavy oil with a high initial viscosity, the influence of noncondensate gases in multithermal fluids on the physical parameters of extraheavy oil was experimentally studied; the production characteristics and mechanism of multithermal fluid-assisted SAGD were studied through numerical simulation. A comparative investigation of the conventional SAGD and multithermal fluid-assisted SAGD injection schemes was conducted. The characteristics and mechanism of the steam chamber during the production processes were analyzed. The results show that a steam-gas-oil system forms in the steam chamber in the case of multithermal fluids. The steam chamber can be partitioned into four zones, and the flow of the oil mainly occurs in the steam condensation zone and the oil drainage zone. The injected multithermal fluids increase the horizontal expansion of the steam chamber, while the dissolved carbon dioxide reduces the residual oil saturation. Moreover, the nitrogen injection significantly reduces the heat loss and increases the heat utilization for multithermal fluid-assisted SAGD in developing extraheavy oil reservoirs.

Analysis of Factors on Flue Gas Assisted SAGD Based on a 2D Visualization Physical Model

“…The flue gas assisted SAGD technology is an improved technology based on SAGD, which combines multiple oil displacement mechanisms such as steam heating, nitrogen expansion, carbon dioxide dissolution, and viscosity reduction. Compared with SAGD technology, it has less steam consumption, a higher oil-steam ratio, and better economy. − At the same time, the flue gas assisted SAGD technology can also inject part of the flue gas generated back into the reservoir, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and has the dual significance of energy saving, emission reduction and enhanced oil recovery. − However, the current research on the synergy between steam and flue gas on steam chamber growth is not sufficient, which limits the promotion and application of flue gas-assisted SAGD technology.…”