Optimal design of distributed effluent treatment systems in steam assisted gravity drainage oil sands operations

Abstract

The oil sands industry in Canada is under increasing pressure to simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water consumption. As a consequence, new trade-offs are emerging that require an integrated analysis. This paper applies Process Integration (PI) tools to investigate opportunities to improve efficiencies in the steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) process. The goal of the paper is to design a distributed effluent treatment system to minimize cost and explore the economic-environmental trade-offs based on concepts of Process Integration. Different configurations of water treatment technologies and steam generation options in SAGD operations are assessed and cost, GHG emissions, water and energy consumption are compared across these configurations. The results of the study show that there are potential cost and electricity savings of up to 19.5% and 12% respectively in the water treatment system of SAGD operations relative to “typical” configurations. These results can help oil sands operators make informed decisions about investments in water treatment technologies for SAGD operations.