Understanding the Heat-Transfer Mechanism in the Steam-Assisted Gravity-Drainage (SAGD) Process and Comparing the Conduction and Convection Flux in Bitumen Reservoirs

Irani, Mazda; Ghannadi, Sahar

doi:10.2118/163069-pa

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 20 publications

(26 reference statements)

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“…Heat convection also affects chamber growth by observed rising fingers. A series of new analytical models accounting for both heat conduction and convection have been developed. − These studies indicated that effects of convection were functions of temperature and water saturation. A higher saturation and a lower temperature in reservoirs usually resulted in an augmented heat convention.…”

Section: Steam-assisted Gravity Drainage (Sagd)mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Critical Review of Reservoir Simulation Applications in Key Thermal Recovery Processes: Lessons, Opportunities, and Challenges

Yang

Nie

et al. 2021

Energy Fuels

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After a cyclic steam stimulation (CSS) process achieved accidental success in recovering heavy oil resources in the 1960s, thermal recovery processes started to unlock the door of in situ recovery of heavy oil and bitumen resources. After five decades of development, many thermal recovery processes have been developed, among which CSS and steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) are two main commercialized processes. With the support of laboratory and field data, reservoir simulation can help engineers and researchers to understand recovery mechanisms, optimize operations, and forecast performance of either existing or emerging processes. In this paper, we present a critical review of applications of reservoir simulation on CSS, CSS follow-ups (steamflooding, liquid addition to steam for enhancing recovery (LASER), and in situ combustion), SAGD, solvent-assisted SAGD, and SAGD noncondensable gas (NCG) coinjection processes. This review and the analyses of these processes provide not only their clarifications from thermal simulation lessons but also an extensive summary of challenges still faced by industry. Moreover, they shed light on future research directions and opportunities for thermal recovery processes.

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Section: Steam-assisted Gravity Drainage (Sagd)mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Critical Review of Reservoir Simulation Applications in Key Thermal Recovery Processes: Lessons, Opportunities, and Challenges

Yang

Nie

et al. 2021

Energy Fuels

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“…Although it is an assumption, the resultant equation provides an understanding of the role of convection. In 2013, Irani and Ghannadi [5] conducted a certain degree of research on the convection caused by the water phase, and they established a steam-assisted gravity drainage heat transfer model that considered thermal convection. Irani believed in the heat transfer method of thermal convection, but their research on thermal convection was only carried out under ideal conditions, while actual reservoir conditions are far from ideal and can, of course, deviate considerably.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expansion Velocity Model of Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage considering Thermal Convection

Zhang

et al. 2021

Geofluids

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Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) is an important method used in the development of heavy oil. A heat transfer model in the SAGD production process is established based on the heat transfer effect caused by the temperature difference at the front edge of the steam chamber and the heat convection effect caused by the pressure difference. The observation well temperature method is used in this model to calculate the horizontal expansion speed of the steam chamber. In this manner, an expansion speed model considering heat convection and heat conduction is established for a steam chamber with a steam-assisted gravity drainage system. By comparing this with the production data extracted from the Fengcheng Oilfield target block, it is verified that the model can be effectively applied for actual field development. Simultaneously, by using the derived model, the temperature distribution at the edge of the steam chamber and production forecast can be predicted. Sensitivity analysis of the expansion rate of the steam chamber demonstrates that the larger the thermal conductivity, the faster is the steam chamber horizontal expansion speed, and the two are positively correlated; the larger the reservoir heat capacity, the slower is the steam chamber horizontal expansion speed. A larger heat capacity of the convective liquid indicates that there are more water components in the convective liquid, the viscosity of the convective liquid is low, and the expansion speed of the steam chamber increases accordingly. This research closely integrates theory with actual field production and provides theoretical support for the development of heavy oil reservoirs.

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“…Although most researchers supported conductive heat transfer, − researchers still hold the point that heat convection is more significant under some circumstances. ,,− Furthermore, the precise proportion of conduction and convection in total heat transfer is still inconclusive. Previous researchers adopted a variety of research methods, such as theoretical analysis, experiment, or numerical simulation, and obtained different ratios of convective heat flux to conductive heat flux (<5, >50, <10, or <1%).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The viscosity of bitumen drops sharply in the immediate vicinity of the steam chamber interface, where bitumen is mobile at high temperatures. However, the heated bitumen does not flow into the farther cold reservoir in the direction normal to the boundary of the steam chamber because of its extremely low mobility that is caused by a low relative permeability, but rather flows essentially along the steam chamber interface downward to the oil accumulation area above the production well. , Therefore, water flow is considered as the single phase that transfers thermal energy to the cold reservoir in the heat convection process . In previous studies, heat convection is mainly considered to be caused by the condensate flow under pressure difference between the steam chamber and the original reservoir.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…14,16,19−25 Furthermore, the precise proportion of conduction and convection in total heat transfer is still inconclusive. Previous researchers adopted a variety of research methods, such as theoretical analysis, experiment, or numerical simulation, and obtained different ratios of convective heat flux to conductive heat flux (<5, 8 >50, 11 <10, 17 or <1% 18 ). Although it is a common knowledge that heat convection exists in the heat-transfer process beyond the steam chamber boundary, different understandings of convection carriers still exist.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

et al. 2020

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In the steam-assisted-gravity-drainage (SAGD) process, heat energy is transferred from the steam chamber to the farther cold reservoir by conduction and convection mechanisms, so as to reduce the oil viscosity. In previous research works, although it was proved that convection is an indispensable part of the heat-transfer process, there is still a controversy about the formation mechanism of heat convection. In this study, an analytical mathematic model was proposed to explore the convective heat transfer in SAGD operation. Typically, this model integrates three heat convection forms that are generated by pressure difference, gravity, and thermal expansion of connate water,. Subsequently, the simulation results are compared with field data to evaluate the accuracy of the new model, and they are reasonably consistent with UTF field data. The results indicate that convective heat transfer plays a predominant role in the immediate vicinity of the steam chamber interface. Furthermore, this paper derives a mathematic model of oil production to explore the effect of heat convection on oil production under different operation conditions. The results demonstrate that heat convection has an adverse impact on oil production, but it is inevitable. This study also displays that some parameters, such as the lateral spreading rate, the thermal diffusivity, the viscosity coefficient, and the curvature of oil relative permeability curve, can significantly affect the oil production rate. Based on this study, the effect of convection mechanism on the heat-transfer process and oil production will be further clarified, and the parameters in the SAGD process can be optimized, so as to effectively enhance and predict oil production.

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Understanding the Heat-Transfer Mechanism in the Steam-Assisted Gravity-Drainage (SAGD) Process and Comparing the Conduction and Convection Flux in Bitumen Reservoirs

Cited by 7 publications

References 20 publications

A Critical Review of Reservoir Simulation Applications in Key Thermal Recovery Processes: Lessons, Opportunities, and Challenges

A Critical Review of Reservoir Simulation Applications in Key Thermal Recovery Processes: Lessons, Opportunities, and Challenges

Expansion Velocity Model of Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage considering Thermal Convection

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

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