Economic Optimization and Uncertainty Assessment of Commercial SAGD Operations

Yang, Chaodong; Card, Colin; Nghiem, Long X.

doi:10.2118/2007-029

Cited by 14 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…If the parameter space is large, it is normally not possible to perform all the runs corresponding to the enumeration of the parameter space. Therefore, other optimization methods such as the one described in Yang et al (2007aYang et al ( , 2007b or the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) technique (Kennedy and Eberhart, 1995) or Genetic Algorithms can be used. …”

Section: Optimization Of Residual Gas and Solubility Trappingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation of Trapping Processes for CO2 Storage in Saline Aquifers

Nghiem¹,

Shrivastava²,

Kohse³

et al. 2009

Canadian International Petroleum Conference

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Important modelling techniques for CO 2 storage in saline aquifers are discussed, in particular solubility trapping, residual gas trapping and geochemistry for mineral trapping. These modelling techniques are applied to the simulation of several important aspects of CO 2 storage, which include optimizing total trapping through water injection, assessing the security of residual trapping with regards to leakage through the cap rocks and evaluating the conversion of CO 2 into minerals.

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Section: Optimization Of Residual Gas and Solubility Trappingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation of Trapping Processes for CO2 Storage in Saline Aquifers

Nghiem¹,

Shrivastava²,

Kohse³

et al. 2009

Canadian International Petroleum Conference

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“…Their results suggested that the higher injection pressure at SAGD start-up follows the lower injection after the contact. Yang et al (2009) presented optimization and uncertainty assessment strategies of SAGD operations using CMG's DECE (Designed Exploration and Controlled Evolution) optimization method. They improved the performance of a SAGD project with two planned well pairs and eight existing primary production wells by altering the steam injection rate and producing the liquid withdrawal rate during different operation periods.…”

Section: Es-sagd Investigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical Simulation of ES-SAGD Process in Athabasca Oil Sands with Top Water and Gas Thief Zones

et al. 2011

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Overlying top water and gas thief zones have a detrimental effect on the Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) recovery process since steam penetrates into these zones which results in great heat loss. Due to the presence of these top thief zones, recovering bitumen by the SAGD process has become challenging for the Athabasca oil sands.Numerical simulations, laboratory experiments and field production data have demonstrated that oil production tends to decrease as the depletion of top gas occurs; also, heat loss to the overlying thief zone will be more significant when a top water zone is present. Indeed, SAGD is a coupled geomechanical, thermal and fluid flow problem because continuous steam injection changes reservoir pore pressure and temperature, which can alter the effective stress in-situ. Therefore, to represent the physics of thermal flow and soil geomechanics, a coupled geomechanical simulation that solves the flow and stress equation simultaneously in the reservoir is crucial for modeling the SAGD process.The objective of this paper is to construct a 3D geostatistical model for the Surmont pilot and implement coupled geomechanical modeling for the SAGD process aiming at investigating the impact of dilation and thermal expansion on the surface subsidence and bitumen recovery. Reasonable history match of oil and water rates has been achieved and steam chamber profiles have been conformed to the field data from the observation wells. An Expanding Solvent Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (ES-SAGD) process has been investigated on a full field-based heterogeneous simulation model using an optimal solvent mixture. Finally, geomechanical effects on the ES-SAGD process are investigated through an iterative coupling approach. IntroductionThe negative impacts of top water and gas cap on SAGD performance have been previously presented and discussed in the literature (Good et al. 1997;Nasr et al. 2000;Law et al. 2000). Both experimental and simulation approaches were conducted to determine SAGD steam chamber growth in the presence of a top thief zone. It was observed that the overlying top water and gas thief zones have a detrimental effect on the Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) recovery process since steam penetrates into these zones and results in great heat loss (AEUB, 1998). Thermal SAGD simulations models have been constructed and successfully matched using the computer assisted history-matching approach. The optimization strategies have been proposed in terms of the operating pressure and subcool control. Furthermore, ES-SAGD possibilities have been investigated using different solvent mixture co-injected with steam. Through a sensitivity study, an optimal solvent mixture has been proposed for this case with a top thief zone.SAGD is a coupled geomechanical, thermal and fluid flow problem because continuous steam injection changes reservoir pore pressure and temperature, which can alter the effective stress in-situ. Dilation behavior associated with volumetric strains is triggered by the continuous stea...

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“…This software uses a combinatorial optimization algorithm based on Experimental Design, Tabu search, and an Evolutionary (Genetic) Algorithm to find the best combination of parameter values that reproduces the observed data (2,3) . The parameters eventually chosen for the history match were the gas and water relative permeabilities (actually block endpoint rescaling of residual saturations and relative permeability maximums) in the well blocks of the individual producers, one set for each producer.…”

Section: History Match Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The field operator initiated a field-wide nitrate treatment (injected nitrate water concentration profiles of 2.4 mM HNO 3 ) in May 2007, and hence the activation of reaction (2). Figure 12 shows the areally-reduced level of H 2 S predicted by the model with nitrate treatment, and should be contrasted with the untreated prediction, Figure 11.…”

Section: Simulation Of Souring and Treatmentglobal Schemementioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation of Bacterial Souring Control in an Alberta Heavy-Oil Reservoir

Coombe¹,

Jack²,

Voodouw³

et al. 2009

Canadian International Petroleum Conference

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This paper presents the development of a simulation model describing the bacterial-induced souring of an Alberta heavy-oil producing field and its remediation via injection of nitrate. An area of the field with extensive bacterial activity was selected for the simulation study. The primary production and water-flood injection phases were history matched with basic reservoir maps and injection/production operating conditions adjusted via an automatic history match algorithm. Extensive chemical and microbiological compositional data for injected and produced waters were collected and analyzed at the University of Calgary and a mathematical model of the souring process and its remediation treatment was developed based on the information collected. Simulation indicated the volumetric distribution of the hydrogen sulfide over time and how the injected nitrate was distributed and acted to achieve souring control. Predicted individual production well responses were shown to be consistent with field observations, and issues regarding improved monitoring and design of laboratory experiments for future field operations are highlighted. Hence, simulation can be a useful tool in understanding and designing remedial treatments to bacterial souring in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin.

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Economic Optimization and Uncertainty Assessment of Commercial SAGD Operations

Cited by 14 publications

References 0 publications

Simulation of Trapping Processes for CO2 Storage in Saline Aquifers

Simulation of Trapping Processes for CO2 Storage in Saline Aquifers

Numerical Simulation of ES-SAGD Process in Athabasca Oil Sands with Top Water and Gas Thief Zones

Simulation of Bacterial Souring Control in an Alberta Heavy-Oil Reservoir

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