Solvent Enhanced Steam Drive: Results from the First Field Pilot in Canada

Abstract

Abstract A solvent enhanced steam drive pilot has been executed in the Peace River area in Canada, where co-injection of steam and solvent was deployed in two inverted 5-spot 5-acre steam drive patterns. The results were compared to two adjacent patterns were only steam was injected. The pilot involved extensive metering and sampling surveillance during 1.5 years. After several months of starting the steam drive a large slug of solvent was injected, subsequently followed by steam drive. Several challenges emerged with respect to data accuracy and acquisition, inherent to the first deployment of this technology and of the pilot being a brown field project. To overcome these issues, a data uncertainty management plan was made aided by reservoir simulation. The pilot demonstrated significant bitumen uplift due to solvent injection and solvent recovery from the reservoir in line with expectations. A reservoir simulation model with sound physical principles was constructed confirming bitumen uplift estimates and solvent recovery trends seen in the field.