Steam drive process in inclined reservoirs

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5960767

Marinello, S A

The steam drive process has proven itself as an enhanced recovery mechanism for heavy, viscous, crude oils. Analysis of field and laboratory data suggests that a functional limit exists to its ability to economically displace extremely viscous crudes. It has been shown in laboratory studies using physically scaled three-dimensional horizontal models that the efficiency of the process is a function of a fractional power of the reciprocal of the oil viscosity at steam temperature. Extrapolation of results suggests that the limit corresponds to viscosities within the tar sand region. The present study addresses the proposition that another set of limits applies for a reservoir in which the producing horizon is inclined. The addition of a significant gravity drainage parameter appears to raise the functional viscosity limit for the steam drive to the realm of tar sands. A physically scaled three-dimensional laboratory vacuum model of one quarter of a five-spot injection pattern has been used to investigate the process potential in recovering highly viscous crude oils of below ten degrees API from inclined reservoirs. The investigation involves a system modelling a nine degree API oil in a reservoir inclined at twenty-five degrees. It was found that an economical production response could be initiated and maintained if a proper combination of well pre-soak, gradient injection profile usage, and late term reservoir soaking was used. That combination appears to involve consideration of initial injection resistance and the slow mobilization qualities of the viscous oils in attempting to optimize thermal efficiency and the effects of gravity drainage. It is shown that gravity effects are significant in such an inclined system and that consideration of such activity in attempts to optimize production may lead to significant oil recovery at economical oil/steam ratios.

• Research Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5960767
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040401 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- In Situ Methods
True & Modified
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
BITUMENS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
DENSITY
DRAINAGE
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FLUID INJECTION PROCESSES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
GEOLOGIC STRATA
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GRAVITATION
INCLINED STRATA
MATERIALS
OIL SANDS
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RECOVERY
STEAM INJECTION
STEAM SOAK PROCESSES
TAR
THERMAL RECOVERY
VISCOSITY
WELLS