Experimental and numerical study of initial water mobility in bitumen reservoirs and its effect on SAGD

Analysis of steam–solvent–bitumen phase behavior and solvent mass transfer for improving the performance of the ES-SAGD process

“…This flow process is significantly different from the traditional laminar flow between two parallel plates, in which the flow streamline is strictly parallel to the boundary plates. Following the confirmation of mobile water within cold oil sands by field observations and laboratory experiments (Aherne and Maini, 2008;Chan et al, 2012), the flow of water in the direction perpendicular to the boundary of the steam chamber to cold oil sands is indicated in SAGD (Irani and Ghannadi 2013;Irani and Gates 2013). With the multi-phase flow of oil and water, there is the potential for oil flow perpendicular to the Table 3 Temperatures, thicknesses of the steam condensation and mobile oil zones, C6 mole fractions in gas and oil, and total oil flow rate at 300 days at the top, middle, and bottom locations of the SAGD and ES-SAGD cases.…”

Convection beyond the Steam Chamber Interface in the Steam-Assisted-Gravity-Drainage Process

“…However, as reported by the Alberta Oil Sands Discovery Center, the vast majority of oil sands in Alberta is water-wet and the water film is a continuum that separates the sand grains and the bitumen. , The single-phase phenomenon is also observed in subsequent experiments that utilize the semipermeable membranes to measure the effective permeability of connate water in the bitumen reservoir that is simulated with a sand pack. It is found that connate water is capable of flowing at the saturation condition as low as 0.17 under the pressure difference, ranging from 0.88 to 0.15 kPa . The field data obtained from the Underground Test Facility (UTF) Phase A SAGD pilot on November 1987 also verified this view. − It is confirmed that, when the water-injection rate changes from 12 to 8 m 3 /d, water moves through the bitumen zone by examining the pressure data from the observation wells.…”

“…It is found that connate water is capable of flowing at the saturation condition as low as 0.17 under the pressure difference, ranging from 0.88 to 0.15 kPa. 34 The field data obtained from the Underground Test Facility (UTF) Phase A SAGD pilot on November 1987 also verified this view. 35−37 It is confirmed that, when the water-injection rate changes from 12 to 8 m 3 /d, water moves through the bitumen zone by examining the pressure data from the observation wells.…”

A Model to Estimate Heat Efficiency in Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage by Condensate and Initial Water Flow in Oil Sands

“…Applying this assumption, the average water phase permeability in the lateral direction can be estimated as the value of the water effective permeability in the cold oil sands. 19,20 Auxiliary equations are added to decrease variables in eqs 7 and 8, and are summarized in eqs 14−21. The constraint of phase saturations is…”

“…Water movement was found to exist with water saturations as low as 0.17 within the pressure difference range of from 0.88 to 0.15 kPa between the inlet and outlet. 19 Later, a novel method was proposed to determine effective permeability of initial water in oil sands by using wax in place of bitumen. The experimental analysis demonstrated the existence of mobile initial water when the water saturation is as low as 5%.…”