Reservoir Simulation of H2S Production During a SAGD Process Using a New Sulfur-Based-Compositional Kinetic Model

Abstract

Abstract Nowadays steam injection is commonly used as a thermal EOR method due to its efficiency for recovering hydrocarbons from heavy oils and bitumen. Reservoir models simulating this process describe the thermal effect of the steam injection, but generally neglect the chemical reactions induced by the steam injection. These reactions are called aquathermolysis and have been previously investigated through laboratory experiments. Based on these experimental results, this paper proposes a new compositional kinetic model to reproduce these reactions in the context of reservoir modeling. In particular the proposed reactions model accounts for the formation of the highly toxic and corrosive acid gas H2S in the presence of sulfur-rich heavy oil and predicts the modification of the oil SARA composition versus time that results from the aquathermolysis reactions. The overall objective of this paper is to understand the aquathermolysis reactions in reservoir undergoing steam injections and to provide the Oil companies with a numerical model for reservoir simulators that forecasts H2S production risks. The new Sulfur-Based-Compositional Kinetic Model is firstly presented and then validated in the context of laboratory-scale experiments. Its H2S and SARA composition predictions are based on a new simplified reactive scheme of 5 reactions coupled to a compositional and thermal reservoir simulation with no mass transfer (0D). Finally the thermo-kinetic modeling is coupled with a 2D reservoir simulation of a SAGD process for a generic Athabasca oil sand. The H2S to SARA (bitumen) production ratio against time computed by the reservoir simulation is found to be consistent with data from a SAGD process in Athabasca, which validates the modeling approach followed.