Underground Upgrading of Heavy OIl Using THAI- "Toe-to-Heel Air Injection"

Greaves, Malcolm W.; Xia, Tian; Ayasse, Conrad

doi:10.2523/97728-ms

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…Among the thermal enhanced oil recovery methods that use air injection in the reservoir are in-situ combustion (ISC) [114], Toe To-Heel Air injection (THAI) [115,116], and THAI/CAPRI [117,118] which uses a commercial catalyst around the horizontal producing well to accelerate the oxidation reactions, allowing a heavy crude to reach a gravity of 28 • API [119,120]. In this context, the use of catalysts has received great attention from industry and researchers, in order to accelerate the reactions involved in these processes such as oxidation, catalytic disintegration, distillation, and polymerization, which contribute simultaneously with other mechanisms such as steam thrust and vaporization [121].…”

Section: Influence Of Nanoparticles In the Air Injection Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nanotechnology Applied to Thermal Enhanced Oil Recovery Processes: A Review

et al. 2019

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The increasing demand for fossil fuels and the depleting of light crude oil in the next years generates the need to exploit heavy and unconventional crude oils. To face this challenge, the oil and gas industry has chosen the implementation of new technologies capable of improving the efficiency in the enhanced recovery oil (EOR) processes. In this context, the incorporation of nanotechnology through the development of nanoparticles and nanofluids to increase the productivity of heavy and extra-heavy crude oils has taken significant importance, mainly through thermal enhanced oil recovery (TEOR) processes. The main objective of this paper is to provide an overview of nanotechnology applied to oil recovery technologies with a focus on thermal methods, elaborating on the upgrading of the heavy and extra-heavy crude oils using nanomaterials from laboratory studies to field trial proposals. In detail, the introduction section contains general information about EOR processes, their weaknesses, and strengths, as well as an overview that promotes the application of nanotechnology. Besides, this review addresses the physicochemical properties of heavy and extra-heavy crude oils in Section 2. The interaction of nanoparticles with heavy fractions such as asphaltenes and resins, as well as the variables that can influence the adsorptive phenomenon are presented in detail in Section 3. This section also includes the effects of nanoparticles on the other relevant mechanisms in TEOR methods, such as viscosity changes, wettability alteration, and interfacial tension reduction. The catalytic effect influenced by the nanoparticles in the different thermal recovery processes is described in Sections 4, 5, 6, and 7. Finally, Sections 8 and 9 involve the description of an implementation plan of nanotechnology for the steam injection process, environmental impacts, and recent trends. Additionally, the review proposes critical stages in order to obtain a successful application of nanoparticles in thermal oil recovery processes.

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Section: Influence Of Nanoparticles In the Air Injection Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nanotechnology Applied to Thermal Enhanced Oil Recovery Processes: A Review

et al. 2019

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“…Three thermocouples (8) are positioned in the center of the vertical tube, into which the oil-sand mixture is loaded, to monitor the temperature at three different positions during the experiments. They are inserted through a rubber plug that closes off the bottom of the vertical part of the quartz tube.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, further development of the understanding of the underlying processes of in-situ combustion continued throughout the years, with much attention for the kinetic behavior. More recently the concept of Toe to Heel Air Injection (THAI), which combines a vertical air injection well with a horizontal producer, has been proposed and experimental results show potential for its application in bitumen-and heavy oil production 8 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In-Situ Oil Combustion: Processes Perpendicular to the Main Gas Flow Direction

Achterbergh¹

2010

SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition

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Since most easy oil has been produced, there is an increased interest in enhanced oil recovery methods, e.g., in-situ oil combustion. Oil combustion in its current form was first patented in 1953, by R.L. Smith and K.M. Watson. It has not seen widespread use, because controlling the process is considered very difficult, and explosion hazards and corrosion in wells made thermal oil recovery by employing steam, which was also developed in the fifties, more popular. Nevertheless, a steady stream of research continued to be done throughout the years. Experimental and modeling work largely focused on the so-called longitudinal behavior, which describes the process in the form of a wave-train related to a propagating combustion zone. In practice, however, the override of injected air implies the existence of reactive and transport processes perpendicular to the main direction of gas flow. Therefore, this paper embarked upon an experimental study of oil combustion processes occurring below and perpendicular to the overriding gas stream. A T-shaped quartz-reactor is used, of which the vertical part is filled with a mixture of sand and oil. An electrical resistance wire was used to heat up the interface of the overriding gas-stream and the oil-saturated sand column. The composition of the effluent gas was recorded using a gas-chromatograph. The temperature in the vertical part is recorded using thermocouples. From the produced data, a theoretical model is suggested describing the reactions and transport phenomena occurring perpendicular to the main gas-flow direction. Both low temperature oxidation and high temperature oxidation are observed. Air is transported through the sand by thermally driven natural convection and diffusion. Coke formation is observed. From the coke formation observed when using pure hexadecane it is inferred that a mechanism exists that forms coke directly from hydrocarbon components that are in the gas-phase. An experiment using glass beads as a porous medium instead of sand proves that this mechanism also takes place in the absence of potential catalysts. The amount of coke and the amount of transport of oxygen to the combustion zone can both limit the continuation of the combustion. Which is the case depends on what oil is used.

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“…Alternatives to ISC such as the "Toe-to-Heel Air Injection" or THAI" [80,81] and CAPRI [82] processes have been proposed. CAPRI is the catalytic version of THAI (Catalytic THAI).…”

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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Underground Upgrading of Heavy OIl Using THAI- "Toe-to-Heel Air Injection"

Cited by 8 publications

References 1 publication

Nanotechnology Applied to Thermal Enhanced Oil Recovery Processes: A Review

Nanotechnology Applied to Thermal Enhanced Oil Recovery Processes: A Review

In-Situ Oil Combustion: Processes Perpendicular to the Main Gas Flow Direction

Enhanced Oil Recovery: An Update Review

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