Optimal Solvent and Well Geometry for Production of Heavy Oil by Cyclic Solvent Injection

Qi, Jianguang; Polikar, M.

doi:10.2118/2005-194

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Previous experimental studies have shown that heavy oil recovery during the CSI process is affected by different variables such as diffusion and convection (Ahadi and Torabi, 2018), gravity drainage (Ivory et al, 2010), pressure depletion rate (Du, et al, 2014), foamy oil flow (Bjorndalen, et al, 2012), the presence of wormholes (Du et al, 2015), type of solvent (Qazvini Firouz and Torabi, 2014;Qi, 2005) and solvent injection sequence (Jamaloei et al, 2012;2013). However, experimental results associated with heavy oil recovery obtained by different authors vary when compared to each other and to field applications.…”

Section: Summary and Future Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous experimental studies (Jia, 2014;Qi, 2005;Ivory et al, 2010) have pointed out propane as the most efficient solvent for enhanced heavy oil recovery. From experiments conducted in core # 1 (see Chapter 4), it was found that gravity forces played an important role on the oil recovery when a solvent mixture of 70% CH4 -30% C3H8 was cyclic injected.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experimental Study of Heavy Oil Recovery Mechanisms during Cyclic Solvent Injection Processes

2020

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Summary The cyclic solvent injection (CSI) process has recently shown to be a promising method for enhanced heavy oil recovery in Canada. Laboratory testing is often run before development of field pilots to assess the effect of parameters, such as solvent choice and process conditions, on the CSI response. However, differences between laboratory results vs. field applications have been observed. CSI laboratory studies work for only two to three cycles due to low incremental oil in subsequent cycles, whereas field pilots continue for years over multiple cycles. This experimental study is intended to capture the production mechanisms responsible for heavy oil production in CSI. Primary production and CSI tests were conducted using sandpack models saturated with live heavy oil of 9530 mPa·s viscosity. The experiments were conducted in horizontal and vertical mode injection at high- and low-pressure depletion rates using two solvent mixtures of CH4 and C3H8. The sandpacks were scanned after every cycle to analyze the evolution of gas and oil saturations using computed tomography (CT). Three cores were used to study the effect of several parameters: gravity forces, pressure depletion rate, solvent composition, and initial oil saturation on the performance of CSI processes. CSI cycles run after primary production in horizontal systems produced negligible incremental oil for both slow and fast drawdown rates due to the large void space and high free gas saturation inhibiting the pressure buildup to push the solvent-diluted oil. These CSI experiments were only initially successful in dead oil systems, in which the initial oil saturation was higher and appropriate pressure gradient was generated through fast depletion rates. During the vertical alignment, CSI cycles exhibited higher incremental oil recovery per cycle. Slow depletion cycles were more efficient in terms of pressure and incremental recovery per cycle; however, faster depletion cycles performed better as a function of time. These results are more in line with the repeated recoveries measured over multiple cycles in field CSI pilot studies. More volume of diluted oil was drained out of the core when the solvent mixture with higher propane (C3H8) content was injected. These results demonstrate the importance of gravity drainage in the CSI process and its significance on successful oil recovery rates. This study illustrates the limitations of previous horizontal laboratory tests and shows an improved test configuration for modeling and prediction of the improved response observed in CSI pilots.

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Section: Summary and Future Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Study of Heavy Oil Recovery Mechanisms during Cyclic Solvent Injection Processes

2020

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show abstract

“…Previous experimental studies have shown that heavy oil recovery during the CSI process is affected by different variables such as diffusion and convection (Ahadi and Torabi, 2018), gravity drainage (Ivory et al, 2010), pressure depletion rate (Du, et al, 2014), foamy oil flow (Bjorndalen, et al, 2012), the presence of wormholes , type of solvent (Qazvini Firouz and Torabi, 2014;Qi, 2005) and solvent injection sequence (Jamaloei et al, 2012;2013). However, experimental results associated with heavy oil recovery obtained by different authors vary when compared to each other and to field applications.…”

Section: Summary and Future Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Study of Heavy Oil Recovery Mechanisms During Cyclic Solvent Injection Processes

Plata

2018

Day 2 Tue, September 25, 2018

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In recent years, the Cyclic Solvent Injection (CSI) process has shown to be a promising method for enhanced heavy oil recovery in Canada. CSI laboratory studies work for only 2 to 3 cycles due to low incremental oil in subsequent cycles whereas field pilots continue for years over multiple cycles This experimental study is intended to capture the production mechanisms responsible for heavy oil production in CSI.Primary production and CSI tests were conducted using physical sandpack models saturated with live heavy oil of 9,530 mPa.s viscosity. The experiments were conducted in horizontal and vertical mode injection at high and low-pressure depletion rates using two solvent mixtures of CH4 and C3H8. The sandpack was Computed Tomography scanned after every cycle to analyze the evolution of gas and oil saturations. Three cores were used to study the effect of gravity forces, depletion rate, solvent composition, and initial oil saturation (dead/live oil systems) on the performance of CSI processes.CSI after primary in horizontal systems produced negligible incremental oil for both slow and fast drawdown rates due to the large void space and high free gas saturation inhibiting the pressure build up to push the solvent-diluted oil. These CSI experiments were only successful in dead oil systems, where the initial oil saturation was high and pressure gradient was generated through fast depletion rates until conditions of high void space and gas channels were reached.When the sandpack was flipped vertically, CSI cycles exhibited higher incremental oil recovery per cycle. Slow depletion cycles were more efficient in terms of pressure and incremental recovery per cycle, however faster depletion cycles performed better as a function of time. The higher C3H8 content solvent mixture exhibited better performance in comparison to the lower C3H8 content as

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The VAPEX process, from beginning up to date

Pourabdollah

Bahram

2013

Fuel

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Optimal Solvent and Well Geometry for Production of Heavy Oil by Cyclic Solvent Injection

Cited by 9 publications

References 8 publications

Experimental Study of Heavy Oil Recovery Mechanisms during Cyclic Solvent Injection Processes

Experimental Study of Heavy Oil Recovery Mechanisms during Cyclic Solvent Injection Processes

Experimental Study of Heavy Oil Recovery Mechanisms During Cyclic Solvent Injection Processes

The VAPEX process, from beginning up to date

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