Hilda Lake a Gravity Drainage Success

Donnelly, J.K.

doi:10.2118/54093-ms

Cited by 8 publications

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“…The SAGD process performance using different well configurations was studied, and several field-scale decision-making procedures were developed and reported to select the appropriate well type, well design, and operating conditions for the purpose of achieving maximum profitability. − Regarding the configuration of the production well, one can find different studies in the literature, including application of horizontal, vertical, and planar producers, together with vertical injection wells, , horizontal injector–horizontal producer (HI-HP) well pair, − ,,,− horizontal injector and producer wells with an additional vertical injection well, − and single-well SAGD. ,,− The feasibility of the SAGD process and its production performance with a vertical injection well, combined with a single horizontal producer, positioned near the basal part of the porous medium, was also addressed in the literature by several authors with the aid of scaled physical models. ,,, This well configuration mode of the SAGD process has been also implemented in some fields such as Cold Lake project directed by Imperial Oil, Yarega in Russia, Hopco Project in California, Esso Resources and Cold Lake Project, and Sceptre oil project in the Tangleflags field in Saskatchewan. ,,,,− Not only the well configuration but also other well network variables, such as well length ,− and vertical well spacing between paired horizontal wells, , were also the subject of a few research projects. Furthermore, experimental investigations with the aid of scaled physical models as well as numerical simulation studies were performed in order to understand the effect of different reservoir characteristics, such as porous medium heterogeneities, ,− permeability of the interwell region, − ,…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Production Characteristics of the Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) and Solvent-Aided SAGD (SA-SAGD) Processes Using a 2-D Macroscale Physical Model

2012

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There are extensive bitumen deposits in Canada that, with the development of sustainable exploitation technologies, can satisfy the energy requirements of the nation for more than a century. The currently available surface mining and in situ recovery techniques are applicable to only ∼15% of the known in-place resources. There is an obvious need for improved technology to make more of the in-place resources exploitable. This paper is aimed at studying the macroscale performance of the steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) and the solvent-aided SAGD (SA-SAGD) processes. A twodimensional (2-D) physical model of porous media was designed and fabricated for the purpose of implementing these two processes. The physical model was packed with different sizes of glass beads to create porous media with different permeability values. Athabasca bitumen was used as the oil phase. All the SAGD and SA-SAGD experiments were performed in an isothermal jacket as the controlled-temperature environment to reduce the amount of undesired heat loss from the model to the surrounding environment. In addition, layers of insulating materials attached to wooden frames were used to cover the back and side faces of the packed model to further reduce the heat losses. All the experiments were conducted under the free uptake flow circulation methodology at atmospheric pressure. For the SAGD experiments, replicate trials were also designed and conducted in order to ensure the repeatability of the experiments. According to the SAGD experimental results, the average mobile oil production rate, as well as that of the dead oil, is constant over the course of the process. When all other experimental variables are unchanged except the porous medium permeability, the higher the permeability of the porous medium, the higher the amount of water content of the produced mobile oil, but the lower the steam-to-oil ratio. The residual oil saturation in the invaded region of the porous medium was obtained to be ∼3%−4.6% of the total pore volume at higher and lower permeability levels, respectively. Moreover, the microstructure of the dispersed water condensate droplets in the continuum of the produced mobile oil was studied with the aid of an advanced photomicrography system integrated with image processing unit. It was determined that water condensate droplets with equivalent sizes as small as 5 μm were dispersed in the mobile oil background. Average droplet size values were measured for both of the permeability levels used in the SAGD experiments, based on the image processing of the microscopic snapshots taken from the produced emulsion samples. One SA-SAGD trial was also conducted in order to demonstrate the enhancement made in the production performance of the SAGD process, following the coinjection of solvent with steam. It was determined that the average mobile oil and dead oil production rates of the SA-SAGD process are reasonably constant over the course of the experiment. In the SA-SAGD process, there were enhancements of ∼18% and 20% in the mobile ...

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Production Characteristics of the Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) and Solvent-Aided SAGD (SA-SAGD) Processes Using a 2-D Macroscale Physical Model

2012

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“…Baker (6) indicates that the Burnt Lake Project is meeting expectations. The design of the Hilda Lake Project is described by Donnelly (7) and the performance of the pilot is compared to numerical simulation predictions by Donnelly (8) . This comparison given in Figure 1 for production rate and in Figure 2 for steam oil ratio indicates that the pilot is performing as predicted.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Best Process for Cold Lake: CSS vs. SAGD

Donnelly

2000

Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology

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Hilda Lake is a Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) project. The Mahkeses project is an expansion of the Imperial Oil Resources Limited commercial Cold Lake project based on Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS). Both projects are being implemented in the same Clearwater reservoir and will be adjacent to each other at the lease boundary. The projected performance of CSS at Mahkeses as given in the Alberta Energy Board Application for Approval is compared with the predicted and actual performance of SAGD at Hilda Lake. Parameters to be compared include: production rates, steam requirements, electrical power requirements, projected recovery factors, and produced water quality. Introduction The CSS process as operated by Imperial Oil is described in the Application(1) to the Alberta Energy Utilities Board (EUB) for expansion of the Cold Lake Project which was submitted in February 1997. The SAGD process is described by Butler(2). In his 1997 paper Batycky(3) compared the actual CSS performance to numerical simulations of SAGD and concluded that the performance parameters for CSS were better in all respects. These parameters included cumulative steam oil ratio (CSOR) and ultimate recovery. Ali(4, 5) has repeated this assertion and in his more recent presentation has stated that SAGD is not economic. During 1997 two pilot projects were initiated to test the SAGD process in the Clearwater formation in the Cold Lake area. The first is the Burnt Lake Project operated by Suncor which consists of three horizontal well pairs. The second is the Hilda Lake Project operated by BlackRock which consists of one well pair. Baker(6) indicates that the Burnt Lake Project is meeting expectations. The design of the Hilda Lake Project is described by Donnelly(7) and the performance of the pilot is compared to numerical simulation predictions by Donnelly(8). This comparison given in Figure 1 for production rate and in Figure 2 for steam oil ratio indicates that the pilot is performing as predicted. In this paper parameters that can be extracted from the predictions for the Hilda Lake Project and from the actual operating data are compared to the projections for CSS provided in the Imperial Oil Application(1) and the supplemental information submitted to the EUB in January 1998(9). FIGURE 1: Hilda Lake, prediction compared to actual. (Available in full paper) FIGURE 2: Hilda Lake, steam oil ratio, prediction compared to actual. (Available in full paper) Reservoir Development Table 1 compares the typical reservoir properties of the Mahkeses Cold Lake Expansion with those of the Hilda Lake Pilot. The Mahkeses properties are based on Figure 2–7 of the of the expansion application(1) which gives the properties of the well TABLE 1: Average reservoir properties. (Available in full paper) FIGURE 3: Production forecast. (Available in full paper) 8–32–64–3 W4. The Hilda Lake properties are based on the 20 m above the horizontal well for the well 15-17-64-3 W4 which is located near the project because the other 18 m of reservoir are of very low quality. The reservoir quality based on permeability and initial oil saturation at Mahkeses is equivalent to that at Hilda Lake.

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SAGD for Heavy Oil Recovery

Shen

2013

Enhanced Oil Recovery Field Case Studies

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Hilda Lake a Gravity Drainage Success

Cited by 8 publications

References 1 publication

Production Characteristics of the Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) and Solvent-Aided SAGD (SA-SAGD) Processes Using a 2-D Macroscale Physical Model

Production Characteristics of the Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) and Solvent-Aided SAGD (SA-SAGD) Processes Using a 2-D Macroscale Physical Model

The Best Process for Cold Lake: CSS vs. SAGD

SAGD for Heavy Oil Recovery

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