TY - GEN
T1 - Potential use of produced oil sample analysis to monitor SAGD performance
AU - Li, Z.
AU - Wollen, C.
AU - Yang, P.
AU - Fustic, M.
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
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U2 - 10.2118/117822-ms
DO - 10.2118/117822-ms
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:64049089415
SN - 9781605606767
T3 - Society of Petroleum Engineers - International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium, ITOHOS 2008 - "Heavy Oil: Integrating the Pieces"
SP - 1011
EP - 1026
BT - Society of Petroleum Engineers - International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium, ITOHOS 2008 - "Heavy Oil
PB - Society of Petroleum Engineers
T2 - Society of Petroleum Engineers - International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium, ITOHOS 2008 - "Heavy Oil: Integrating the Pieces"
Y2 - 20 October 2008 through 23 October 2008
ER -