Abstract
A thorough understanding of the effects of lean zones and the improvement of steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) operations with such heterogeneities is critically important for reducing the disadvantages of lean zones. The numerical model shows: (1) SAGD is most influenced by the single-layer lean zone with the above-injector (AI) location; with the decrease of interval distance and increase of thickness and water saturation in lean zones, the detrimental effect of single-layer lean zones on SAGD performance increases; (2) with the increase of period and decrease of connate and initial water saturations in lean zones, the detrimental effect of multiple-layer lean zones on SAGD performance increases; (3) reducing the injection pressure properly improves SAGD performance in leaky oil sands. The field-scale study indicates: (1) well pair 1 is most affected by lean zones in the studied pad due to the widest distribution of lean zones above its injector, and a hybrid cyclic steam stimulation (CSS)/SAGD method is proposed to overcome the practical problem of a low injection pressure in this area; (2) simulation results prove that the hybrid CSS/SAGD method is better than the conventional SAGD method in leaky oil sands.
Highlights
As conventional oil and gas resources become limited, the production from unconventional resources has become popular, one of which is the oil sand composed of clay and sand (80–85%), water (5–10%), and bitumen (10–18%) [1]
We combine all cases in Figure 3; the steam-oil ratio (SOR) of the AI case is the largest, followed by that of the between the injector and producer (BIP) case
We combine all cases in Figure 3; the SOR of the AI case is the largest, followed by that of the below theWe producer displays in the minimum effect the lean zone
Summary
As conventional oil and gas resources become limited, the production from unconventional resources has become popular, one of which is the oil sand composed of clay and sand (80–85%), water (5–10%), and bitumen (10–18%) [1]. Northern Alberta in Canada owns the largest oil sands reserve in the world, with 293 billion m3 of initially in-place crude bitumen [2,3]. Alberta are located at a depth between 0 and 600 m, with a high viscosity around 2 × 106 cp [1]. The SAGD process (Figure 1) was invented by. Dr Roger Butler around 1969 [7,8]. This process was tested in several phases at the Alberta Oil Sands
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