Numerical Study of Single Well Vapor Extraction Process

Abstract

Vapor extraction (Vapex) is an emerging technology to produce heavy oil and bitumen from subsurface formations. Single well (SW) Vapex technique uses the same concept of Vapex process but only with one horizontal well. In this process solvent is injected from the toe of the horizontal well with oil production at the heel section. The main advantage of SW-Vapex process lies in the economic saving and applicability in problematic reservoirs, where drilling of two horizontal wells is impractical. The performance of SW-Vapex seems to be comparable with dual horizontal Vapex process using proper optimization schemes. This study is grouped into two sections: (i) a screening study of early time operating performance of SW-Vapex and (ii) a sensitivity analysis of the effect of the reservoir and well completion parameters. Simulation results show that solvent injection rate can be optimized to improve oil production rate. Higher injection rates may not necessarily lead to increase in production. This study confirms that SW-Vapex process is very ineffective in reservoirs with high oil viscosity (more than 1,500 cp) and thin formations (less than 10 m).

Ali Shariati: Islamizing Socialism and Socializing Islam

“…"He evaluated the Protestant movement through which a new religion was founded as a positive Western experience worthy of emulation." 43 Shariʿati called for the transformation of Islam and its purification from practices and rituals foreign to true Islam.…”

“…This genuine form of Islam has a revolutionary ideology that enables the organic intellectual in Iran-and all Islamic countries-to fuse with his own society and not to be alienated from it. 12 Therefore, Shariʿati not only criticized traditional clerics or others who glorified passivity and intizar (awaiting), he also criticized "Westernized" Iranian intellectuals who attempted to eliminate the clerics, Islam, and Islamic traditions, both progressive and reactionary. 13 These latter intellectuals, he maintained, were ineffective in terms of their struggle against Imperialism.…”