Potential use of produced oil sample analysis to monitor SAGD performance

Z. Li, C. Wollen, P. Yang, M. Fustic

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Bitumen is too viscous to be produced by conventional recovery methods and significant amounts are too deep to be recovered by mining, necessitating enhanced in-situ oil recovery techniques. The majority of operating and planned in-situ bitumen projects employ thermal techniques to lower the bitumen's viscosity, allowing it to be produced. The viscosity characteristics of the bitumen consequently have a significant effect on production rates and recovery. Bitumen viscosity and chemical composition variation with depth within a single reservoir column has been reported for many heavy oil and oil sand reservoirs in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and elsewhere in the world. This study investigates, through reservoir simulation, the effects of viscosity variation with depth on the SAGD process and the resulting produced oil characteristics. Oil characteristics, including chemical component and viscosity profiles were built into a variety of reservoir simulation models. The simulation results indicate that the produced oil viscosity and component concentration vary as the steam chamber develops. The trend of the produced oil characteristics is related to the original in-situ profiles of and the reservoir flow barriers. In conjunction with oil rate, surface heave, or other available data, the produced oil characteristics may be used to suggest steam chamber development and the presence of barriers or baffles. The presented approach has potential to become a useful technique for SAGD steam chamber growth monitoring and production optimization.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSociety of Petroleum Engineers - International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium, ITOHOS 2008 - "Heavy Oil
Subtitle of host publicationIntegrating the Pieces"
PublisherSociety of Petroleum Engineers
Pages1011-1026
Number of pages16
ISBN (Print)9781605606767
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2008
Externally publishedYes
EventSociety of Petroleum Engineers - International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium, ITOHOS 2008 - "Heavy Oil: Integrating the Pieces" - Calgary, AB, Canada
Duration: Oct 20 2008Oct 23 2008

Publication series

NameSociety of Petroleum Engineers - International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium, ITOHOS 2008 - "Heavy Oil: Integrating the Pieces"
Volume2

Conference

ConferenceSociety of Petroleum Engineers - International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium, ITOHOS 2008 - "Heavy Oil: Integrating the Pieces"
Country/TerritoryCanada
CityCalgary, AB
Period10/20/0810/23/08

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Fuel Technology
  • Computational Theory and Mathematics
  • Geochemistry and Petrology
  • Energy Engineering and Power Technology

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