Steam Injection in Fractured Carbonate Reservoirs: Starting a New Trend in EOR

Penney, Richard K.; Moosa, Riyadh; Shahin, Gordon T.; Hadrami, F.; Kok, A.; Engen, G.; Ravesteijn, O. van; Rawnsley, K.; Kharusi, B.

doi:10.2523/10727-ms

Cited by 23 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Until the publication of this paper, only five steam pilots in fractured carbonates were reported: (1) the Lacq Superieur field, France, (2) the Ikiztepe field, Turkey, (3) the Qarn Alam field, Oman, , (4) the Yates field, U.S.A., and (5) the Bati Raman field, Turkey . The decision to go for a full field application was only made for the Qarn Alam project, and conversion to full field application is still in progress. − …”

Section: Problem Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Steam-over-Solvent Injection in Fractured Reservoirs (SOS-FR) Technique as a New Approach for Heavy-Oil and Bitumen Recovery: An Overview of the Method

Al-Bahlani

Babadagli

2011

Energy Fuels

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Heavy-oil recovery from tight naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs is a great challenge to the oil industry, yet no well-established recovery technique has been adopted by the oil industry. Steam-over-solvent injection in fractured reservoirs (SOS-FR) is a new technology proposed as an alternative method to the sole injection of steam or solvent, and this paper introduces this method through extensive experimental evidence and analysis. The method consists of three phases: (1) steam (or hot water), (2) solvent, and (3) steam (hot water) injection. Phase 1 produces heavy oil by thermal expansion and conditions the oil for phase 2, which is solvent injection. Phase 3 is applied mainly to retrieve the solvent. Several static experiments were conducted mainly to test four critical parameters: (1) wettability of the matrix, (2) solvent type, (3) initial water saturation, and (4) matrix boundary conditions. This was followed by several dynamic experiments, which were aimed at testing the effect of the solvent injection rate on the process. All three phases yielded above 90% recovery, with 85–90% solvent retrieval if the matrix boundary conditions were favorable (large surface area per volume for effective solvent diffusion), when heptane was used as the solvent, regardless of the wettability of the matrix. After provision of the experimental results, we discuss the up- and downsides of the technology and suggest ways to improve it. The importance of this work is that it provides a novel perspective on the interaction between steam/solvent and heavy oil in the matrix and presents an alternative technique for heavy-oil recovery from deep naturally fractured reservoirs with a tight and oil-wet matrix.

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Section: Problem Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Steam-over-Solvent Injection in Fractured Reservoirs (SOS-FR) Technique as a New Approach for Heavy-Oil and Bitumen Recovery: An Overview of the Method

Al-Bahlani

Babadagli

2011

Energy Fuels

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“… Cyclic steam pilot in Cao-32 Field, fracture limestone heavy crude oil in China [179].  Steamflood pilot and recently announced full field implementation in Qarn Alam Field, Oman [18,[180][181][182]. Oman also announced steam injection project in limestone Fahud Field among other steam pilots [18].…”

Section: Thermal Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced Oil Recovery: An Update Review

2010

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With the decline in oil discoveries during the last decades it is believed that EOR technologies will play a key role to meet the energy demand in years to come. This paper presents a comprehensive review of EOR status and opportunities to increase final recovery factors in reservoirs ranging from extra heavy oil to gas condensate. Specifically, the paper discusses EOR status and opportunities organized by reservoir lithology (sandstone and carbonates formations and turbiditic reservoirs to a lesser extent) and offshore and onshore fields. Risk and rewards of EOR methods including growing trends in recent years such as CO 2 injection, high pressure air injection (HPAI) and chemical flooding are addressed including a brief overview of CO 2 -EOR project economics.

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“…In 1997, Al-Shizawi et al discussed the methods of heat monitoring in the same field for the same pilot project . Later studies on Qarn Alam showed the field application possibilities and the physics of steam injection. − …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bitumen Recovery by the Steam-Over-Solvent Injection in Fractured Reservoirs (SOS-FR) Method: An Experimental Study on Grosmont Carbonates

2013

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We adapted the previously introduced SOS-FR (Steam-Over-Solvent Injection in Fractured Reservoirs) method and conducted 12 experiments using preserved core samples from the Grosmont formation. The method applied in this study is based on soaking rather than continuous injection. The samples were immersed in hot water (90 °C), first to mimic low-temperature presteaming to condition the reservoir for solvent injection. This was followed by a solvent soaking period under varying conditions (duration, solvent type, etc.). Heptane and the distillate obtained from a heavy oil upgrading facility were used as solvents. Finally, the core samples were soaked in hot water again. Oil recoveries varied between 40% and 90% OOIP, with a mean value of 68%. Asphaltene precipitation, as a percentage of original oil in place (OOIP), was measured between 6.5 wt % and 33 wt %. The oil recovery and asphaltene precipitation depended on the solvent type, the solvent exposure duration, the position of matrix rock (horizontal or vertical), and the duration and number of solvent/hot water cycles. Most importantly, the last phase (hot water immersion) yielded substantial recovery of solvent diffused into matrix oil by applying a temperature value close to the boiling point of the solvent. The solvent retrieval was extremely fast and varied between 62% and 82% of the solvent diffused into the core during solvent exposure. Experimental observations look promising for further applications, as indicated by the high recovery values. The important aspects are that the solvent from readily available distillates used for transportation of heavy oil are very responsive and the temperature requirement for final hot water injection applied to retrieve solvent was <100 °C. Solvent retrieval was extremely quick and reasonably high, which is more likely to make the process economical.

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Steam Injection in Fractured Carbonate Reservoirs: Starting a New Trend in EOR

Cited by 23 publications

References 2 publications

Steam-over-Solvent Injection in Fractured Reservoirs (SOS-FR) Technique as a New Approach for Heavy-Oil and Bitumen Recovery: An Overview of the Method

Steam-over-Solvent Injection in Fractured Reservoirs (SOS-FR) Technique as a New Approach for Heavy-Oil and Bitumen Recovery: An Overview of the Method

Enhanced Oil Recovery: An Update Review

Bitumen Recovery by the Steam-Over-Solvent Injection in Fractured Reservoirs (SOS-FR) Method: An Experimental Study on Grosmont Carbonates

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