Steam Plume Research Articles

Continuous Seismic Reservoir Monitoring of Thermal Enhanced Oil Recovery

This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper SPE 165428, ’Continuous Land Seismic Reservoir Monitoring of Thermal EOR in the Netherlands,’ by Julien Cotton, Laurene Michou, and Eric Forgues, CGG, and Kees Hornman, Shell Global Solutions International, prepared for the 2013 SPE Heavy Oil Conference Canada, Calgary, 11-13 June. The paper has not been peer reviewed. A reservoir-monitoring system has been installed on a medium-heavy-oil onshore field in the context of redevelopment by gravity-assisted steamflood. The challenge was to monitor the lateral and vertical expansion of the steam chest continuously with seismic reflection. The high sensitivity of the buried acquisition system allows the tracking and monitoring of very small variations of the reservoir’s physical properties in both the spatial and calendar domains. A daily 4D “movie” of the changes allows proposing a scenario that explains the unexpected behavior of the production. Introduction The Schoonebeek field is in the northeast of the Netherlands with 1 billion bbl of stock-tank oil initially in place. Between 1948 and 1996, the oil was produced with several small-scale thermal enhanced-oil-recovery pilots with vertical wells. Today, the oil is produced by gravity-assisted steamdrive. A permanent seismic system including 2D and 3D phases was installed in 2010 to monitor the reservoir’s evolution during steam injection. The monitoring lasted 2 years. During this time, the propagation of the steam plume injected into a horizontal well located between two horizontal producer wells was tracked in order to understand the 4D behavior of the steam and possibly update the dynamic production model.

Numerical and experimental study of steam‐water two‐phase flow through steam jet pump

ABSTRACTThe Steam Jet Pump (SJP) is the most suitable pump for pumping radioactive and hazardous liquids because of its mechanical simplicity, no maintenance, low cost, easy construction, no leakage, simple control, and so on. The only problem with the SJP is the complexity in the transport phenomena involved in it. In this study, the void fraction in the mixing section has been measured experimentally through gamma‐ray densitometry technique, and the flow through the SJP was simulated numerically. The reported numerical study of the SJP is very limited because of the complexity of the problem. In this work, three‐dimensional steady state numerical simulations of the SJP were carried out using the Shah Direct‐Contact Condensation (DCC) model developed previously. The experimental and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) results of void fraction have been compared at different steam inlet pressure, and it was found that they match closely with each other. The transport phenomena in the SJP were explained using the CFD results of condensation heat transfer coefficient, steam plume shape, radial temperature distributions, and contours of static pressure and steam density. This study helps in validating the Shah direct‐contact condensation model and providing valuable information about the transport phenomena occurring within the mixing section of the SJP. © 2013 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hydroacoustic, infrasonic and seismic monitoring of the submarine eruptive activity and sub-aerial plume generation at South Sarigan, May 2010

Explosive submarine volcanic processes are poorly understood, due to the difficulties associated with both direct observation and continuous monitoring. In this study hydroacoustic, infrasound, and seismic signals recorded during the May 2010 submarine eruption of South Sarigan seamount, Marianas Arc, are used to construct a detailed event chronology. The signals were recorded on stations of the International Monitoring System, which is a component of the verification measures for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Numerical hydroacoustic and infrasound propagation modelling confirms that viable propagation paths from the source to receivers exist, and provide traveltimes allowing signals recorded on the different technologies to be associated. The eruption occurred in three stages, separated by three-hour periods of quiescence. 1) A 46h period during which broadband impulsive hydroacoustic signals were generated in clusters lasting between 2 and 13min. 95% of the 7602 identified events could be classified into 4 groups based on their waveform similarity. The time interval between clusters decreased steadily from 80 to 25min during this period. 2) A five-hour period of 10Hz hydroacoustic tremor, interspersed with large-amplitude, broadband signals. Associated infrasound signals were also recorded at this time. 3) An hour-long period of transient broadband events culminated in two large-amplitude hydroacoustic events and one broadband infrasound signal. A speculative interpretation, consistent with the data, suggests that during phase (1) transitions between endogenous dome growth and phreatomagmatic explosions occurred with the magma ascent rate accelerating throughout the period; during phase (2) continuous venting of fragmented magma occurred, and was powerful enough to breach the sea surface. During the climactic phase (3) discrete powerful explosions occurred, and sufficient seawater was vaporised to produce the contemporaneous 12km altitude steam plume.

Research on Mechanism of Two Phase Flow Lifting Pressure Equipment and Output Regulation

Taking into account the process and mechanism of lifting pressure were complex due to the condensation and shock wave, a one-dimensional theory model based on direct contact condensation is presented to analyze the lifting pressure character of steam-water two phase flow injector, and some key issues, such as inter-phase mass transfer computed by the average condensation heat transfer coefficient and phase volume fraction determined by steam plume, are discussed in detail. The regulations of discharge mass flow and output temperature are decoupling control according to the theory model, and the inlet water mass flow is to determine the output temperature, the variable throat section of steam nozzle is to determine the discharge mass flow.

Numerical Simulation of Direct-contact Condensation from a Supersonic Steam Jet in Subcooled Water

The phenomenon of direct-contact condensation, used in steam driven jet injectors, nuclear reactor emergency core cooling systems and direct-contact heat exchangers, was investigated computationally by introducing a thermal equilibrium model for direct-contact condensation of steam in subcooled water. The condensation model presented was a two resistance model which takes care of the heat transfer process on both sides of the interface and uses a variable steam bubble diameter. The injection of supersonic steam jet in subcooled water tank was simulated using the Euler-Euler multiphase flow model of Fluent 6.3 code with the condensation model incorporated. The findings of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were compared with the published experimental data and fairly good agreement was observed between the two, thus validating the condensation model. The results of CFD simulations for dimensionless penetration length of steam plume varies from 2.73-7.33, while the condensation heat transfer coefficient varies from 0.75-0.917 MW·(m 2·K) −1 for water temperature in the range of 293-343 K.

ANALYSIS OF THE NODALISATION INFLUENCE ON SIMULATING ATMOSPHERIC STRATIFICATIONS IN THE EXPERIMENT THAI TH13 WITH THE CONTAINMENT CODE SYSTEM COCOSYS

The activities related to this paper are to investigate the influence of nodalisation on simulating atmospheric stratification in the THAI experiment TH13 (ISP-47) with the German containment code COCOSYS. This article focuses on different nodalisations of the vessel dome, where an atmospheric stratification occurred due to a high helium content. The volume of the dome was divided into several levels that were varied horizontally into different geometries. These geometries differ in the number of zones as well as in the existence of zones that enable the direct rise of an ascending steam plume into the vessel dome. Additionally, the vertical subdivision of the vessel dome was increased to simulate density gradients in a more detailed way. It was pointed out that the proper simulation of atmospheric stratifications and their dissolution depends on both a suitable horizontal as well as vertical nodalisation scheme. Besides, the treatment of fog droplets has an influence if their settlement is not simulated correctly. This report gives an overview of the gained experience and provides nodalisation requirements to simulate atmospheric stratifications and their proper dissolution.

Condensation regime diagram for supersonic/sonic steam jet in subcooled water

This study was designed to determine the behaviour of the flow patterns of supersonic and sonic steam jet condensation in subcooled water. The effects of steam mass flux, water temperature and pressure ratio on the flow pattern were discussed. The results indicated that the flow pattern was not only affected by steam mass flux and water temperature, but also affected significantly by pressure ratio. The expansion and contraction ratios of the steam plume were influenced significantly by pressure ratio, and a correlation for predicting the expansion and contraction ratio was given based on the theoretical expansion ratio of sonic steam jet. At relatively low steam mass flux and high water temperature, the transition of flow pattern from stable jet to unstable jet was observed, and a criterion of stable–unstable jet transition was given. Moreover, the three-dimensional condensation regime maps, including stable steam plume shapes and unstable jet, for sonic and supersonic steam jet under different conditions were discussed. Four different shapes of the steam plume occurred in sonic steam jet regime map, and six different shapes of the steam plume occurred in supersonic steam jet regime map. The regime maps were also validated against the previous experiments.

Experimental investigation of over-expanded supersonic steam jet submerged in quiescent water

This study was designed to determine the behaviour of an over-expanded supersonic steam jet in quiescent water. Only two shapes of steam plume were observed and an analytical model was constructed. The axial and radial temperature distributions were measured in the steam plume and in the surrounding water. The flow pattern and temperature distributions were influenced mainly by steam mass flux and water temperature. The results confirmed the occurrence of compression and expansion waves in the steam plume, and indicated that the temperature distributions reflected the steam plume shapes. The axial temperature distributions in the forepart of the steam plume were independent of water temperature. Empirical correlations were found that predicted the dimensionless axial and radial temperatures of the turbulent jet region. Moreover, prediction of the steam plume length by the dimensionless axial temperature showed good agreement with the experimental results.

Experimental study on sonic steam jet condensation in quiescent subcooled water

Abstract Condensation heat transfer of sonic steam jet in subcooled water was investigated experimentally over a wide range of steam mass flux and water temperature. Four different steam plume shapes were observed in present test conditions, and condensation regime map was given based on steam mass flux and water temperature. Maximum expansion ratio and dimensionless penetration length of the steam jet were also obtained in the ranges of 1.04–2.20 and 2.86–14.60, respectively. Then the semi-empirical correlations were given to predict the expansion ratio and penetration length, the results showed good agreement between the predictions and experiments. Moreover, temperature fields in the steam plume and surrounding water were measured. Axial temperature distributions represented the four typical steam plumes, and variation of the axial temperature confirmed existence of expansion and compression waves. Finally, surface renewal model was adopted to predict condensation heat transfer coefficients, which were in the range of 0.98–1.45 MW/m 2 K and mainly dependent on the physical property and steam plume shape, including expansion angle, expansion ratio and penetration length.

Steam plume length diagram for direct contact condensation of steam injected into water

Direct Contact Condensation (DCC) of steam in water occurs when steam is introduced into water. It is a phenomenon of high importance in many industrial applications. An important feature of the DCC is the length of the steam plume. Correlations for a steam plume length presently available are accurate only for limited conditions. In this paper, a new two-dimensional steam plume length diagram is presented capable of predicting length accurately for a wide range of conditions. The diagram is validated against experiments. Furthermore, corrections necessary to adopt the diagram for steam injection into a water flow are discussed in the paper.

Experimental study on steam plume and temperature distribution for sonic steam jet

The sonic steam jet in subcooled water was investigated experimentally over a wide range of steam mass flux and water temperature conditions. Four different steam plume shapes were observed in present test conditions, and the condensation form was mainly controlled by the steam mass flux and water temperature. Moreover, the unstable jet was observed on the condition of low steam mass flux and high water temperature. The transition criterion of unstable-stable jet was also given. The temperature fields in the steam plume and in the surrounding water were measured. Axial temperature distributions represented the four typical steam plumes, and the fluctuation of axial temperature confirmed the existence of expansion and compression waves. Additionally, the radial temperature distributions were independent of water temperature for small radial distance at nozzle exit, and further the axial location was apart from the nozzle exit, longer the radial distance affected by the momentum diffusion.

Regimes of direct contact condensation of steam injected into water

Direct contact condensation of steam injected into water is a special mode of condensation where condensation occurs on the interface between steam and water. Crucial in the modelling of direct contact condensation is the behaviour of the injected steam, commonly termed as a regime. Depending on the environmental conditions, steam injected into water appears in different regimes. These are observed in different geometrical appearances of the injected steam and are ranging from steam being condensed in the injector to bubbles and jets of steam formed in water. The two dimensional regime maps and models presently available are able to predict different condensation behaviour for limited range of flow conditions. In this paper a new three-dimensional condensation regime diagram is presented. The diagram is capable of predicting regimes for a wide range of flow conditions as well as different sizes of steam injector. Furthermore, expected penetration distance of steam injected into water, which is also crucial in modelling of the process, is presented for different flow conditions in the form of a new two-dimensional steam plume length diagram.

Experimental study on the condensation of supersonic steam jet submerged in quiescent subcooled water: Steam plume shape and heat transfer

The condensation of supersonic steam jet submerged in the quiescent subcooled water was investigated experimentally. The results indicated that the shape of steam plume was controlled by the steam exit pressure and water temperature. Six different shapes of steam plume were observed under the present test conditions. Their distribution as a function of the steam exit pressures and water temperatures was given. As the steam mass velocity and water temperature increase, the measured maximum expansion ratio and dimensionless penetration length of steam plume were in the ranges of 1.08–1.95 and 3.05–13.15, respectively. The average heat transfer coefficient of supersonic steam jet condensation was found to be in the range of 0.63–3.44 MW/m 2K. An analytical model of steam plume was found and the correlations to predict the maximum expansion ratio, dimensionless penetration length and average heat transfer coefficient were also investigated.

Sustained long-period seismicity at Shishaldin Volcano, Alaska

From September 1999 through April 2004, Shishaldin Volcano, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, exhibited a continuous and extremely high level of background seismicity. This activity consisted of many hundreds to thousands of long-period (LP; 1–2 Hz) earthquakes per day, recorded by a 6-station monitoring network around Shishaldin. The LP events originate beneath the summit at shallow depths (0–3 km). Volcano tectonic events and tremor have rarely been observed in the summit region. Such a high rate of LP events with no eruption suggests that a steady state process has been occurring ever since Shishaldin last erupted in April–May 1999. Following the eruption, the only other signs of volcanic unrest have been occasional weak thermal anomalies and an omnipresent puffing volcanic plume. The LP waveforms are nearly identical for time spans of days to months, but vary over longer time scales. The observations imply that the spatially close source processes are repeating, stable and non-destructive. Event sizes vary, but the rate of occurrence remains roughly constant. The events range from magnitude ∼ 0.1 to 1.8, with most events having magnitudes < 1.0. The observations suggest that the conduit system is open and capable of releasing a large amount of energy, approximately equivalent to at least one magnitude 1.8–2.6 earthquake per day. The rate of observed puffs (1 per minute) in the steam plume is similar to the typical seismic rates, suggesting that the LP events are directly related to degassing processes. However, the source mechanism, capable of producing one LP event about every 0.5–5 min, is still poorly understood. Shishaldin's seismicity is unusual in its sustained high rate of LP events without accompanying eruptive activity. Every indication is that the high rate of seismicity will continue without reflecting a hazardous state. Sealing of the conduit and/or change in gas flux, however, would be expected to change Shishaldin's behavior.

Analytical Study of Flow Regimes for Direct Contact Condensation Based on Parametrical Investigation

Various industrial devices exist where direct contact condensation (DCC) of steam in water takes place. Typical examples are the nuclear reactor coolant systems, steam driven jet pumps, and condensers. The modeling of steam condensation is crucial to obtain an appropriate design of such devices. Present models designed for DCC have shown limited agreement with experimental data. Computation of the flow regimes is performed with limited accuracy, due to initial model settings and empirical correlations, which form a main drawback in the computation of DCC related problems. This study, which is a part of a PhD study, presents an investigation of the steam-water interface for various conditions of steam and water, using the computation of balance equations and jump conditions. A simple mathematical model to predict the location of the condensation interface for four different shapes of steam plume at different heat transfer coefficients is presented which will be further developed into an advanced computational model for DCC.

Investigation of the stem-water direct contact condensation heat transfer coefficients using interfacial transport models

Direct contact condensation heat transfer occurring around a stable steam plume in subcooled water has been investigated. The condensation heat transfer coefficients at the steam-water interface have been determined by using three different models, that is, the interfacial transport model due to the turbulent intensity, the surface renewal model, and the shear stress model. The predicted values have been compared with the measured heat transfer coefficients

Thermal precursors in satellite images of the 1999 eruption of Shishaldin Volcano

Shishaldin Volcano, Unimak Island Alaska, began showing signs of thermal unrest in satellite images on 9 February 1999. A thermal anomaly and small steam plume were detected at the summit of the volcano in short-wave thermal infrared AVHRR (advanced very high resolution radiometer) satellite data. This was followed by over 2 months of changes in the observed thermal character of the volcano. Initially, the thermal anomaly was only visible when the satellite passed nearly directly over the volcano, suggesting a hot source deep in the central crater obscured from more oblique satellite passes. The "zenith angle" needed to see the anomaly increased with time, presumably as the thermal source rose within the conduit. Based on this change, an ascent rate of ca. 14 m per day for the thermal source was estimated, until it reached the summit on around 21 March. It is thought that Strombolian activity began around this time. The precursory activity culminated in a sub-Plinian eruption on 19 April, ejecting ash to over 45,000 ft. (13,700 m). The thermal energy output through the precursory period was calculated based on geometric constraints unique to Shishaldin. These calculations show fluctuations that can be tied to changes in the eruptive character inferred from seismic records and later geologic studies. The remote location of this volcano made satellite images a necessary observation tool for this eruption. To date, this is the longest thermal precursory activity preceding a sub-Plinian eruption recorded by satellite images in the region. This type of thermal monitoring of remote volcanoes is central in the efforts of the Alaska Volcano Observatory to provide timely warnings of volcanic eruption, and mitigate their associated hazards to air-traffic and local residents.

The chemistry of lava-seawater interactions II: the elemental signature

The flow of lava into the ocean at the shoreline of Kilauea Volcano during the ongoing Pu’u O’o eruption has allowed a detailed study of the geochemical interaction between lava and seawater. This paper focuses on the chemistry of the major and minor elements in the fluids that resulted from this interaction. The elemental enrichments in these fluids are dominated by three processes: (1) evaporation of water from seawater, which creates solutions enriched in the major elements found in seawater, (2) congruent dissolution of the basalt glass matrix, which is limited by the solubility of some of the elements in seawater, and (3) removal of volatile phases from the lava on contact with seawater.Using a simple model of volatile emanation (using published emanation coefficients) and congruent dissolution, we are able to explain the concentrations observed for the majority of elements in precipitation from the steam plume at the shoreline lava entry and in water allowed to interact with molten lava in controlled experiments. Fe, Al, Ti, and some of the rare earth elements (REEs) in precipitation samples from the steam plume at the lava entry were > 10,000-times enriched over their ambient seawater concentrations, suggesting that these elements may be useful for identifying submarine eruptions. The flux of elements from the Kilauea ocean lava entry is greater than that from a typical midocean ridge hydrothermal vent field for Al, Cd, Co, and the REEs, whereas the opposite is true for the remainder of the elements studied.

Discovery of a recurrent lava lake on Saunders Island (South Sandwich Islands) using AVHRR imagery

Monitoring of the remote South Sandwich Islands volcanic arc, using advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) data, has identified a radiant pixel on channels 3 (3.55–3.93μm) and (rarely) 4 (10.3–11.3μm). The position of the pixel is coincident with Mount Michael, Saunders Island, the active summit crater of a snow-covered basaltic stratovolcano with a persistent steam plume. The radiant pixel was continuously present in successive AVHRR images acquired during intervals of several months in the period examined (March 1995–February 1998), although apparently disappearing for similar time intervals. More than 5000 images were examined during this study. The radiant pixel is interpreted to indicate that the crater has contained a lava lake, the first to be recorded in the South Sandwich Islands. The lake appears to persist in the crater for several months at a time, at least. It may have drained completely at times and was probably absent when the crater was viewed briefly during an overflight in January 1997. Persistent or recurring lava lakes are very uncommon world-wide and that at Mount Michael is one of only two recorded in the Antarctic region.

The 1984 to 1996 cyclic activity of Lascar Volcano, northern Chile: cycles of dome growth, dome subsidence, degassing and explosive eruptions

Lascar Volcano (5592 m; 23°22'S, 67°44'W) entered a new period of vigorous activity in 1984, culminating in a major explosive eruption in April 1993. Activity since 1984 has been characterised by cyclic behaviour with recognition of four cycles up to the end of 1993. In each cycle a lava dome is extruded in the active crater, accompanied by vigorous degassing through high-temperature, high-velocity fumaroles distributed on and around the dome. The fumaroles are the source of a sustained steam plume above the volcano. The dome then subsides back into the conduit. During the subsidence phase the velocity and gas output of the fumaroles decrease, and the cycle is completed by violent explosive activity. Subsidence of both the dome and the crater floor is accommodated by movement on concentric, cylindrical or inward-dipping conical fractures. The observations are consistent with a model in which gas loss from the dome is progressively inhibited during a cycle and gas pressure increases within and below the lava dome, triggering a large explosive eruption. Factors that can lead to a decrease in gas loss include a decrease in magma permeability by foam collapse, reduction in permeability due to precipitation of hydrothermal minerals in the pores and fractures within the dome and in country rock surrounding the conduit, and closure of open fractures during subsidence of the dome and crater floor. Dome subsidence may be a consequence of reduction in magma porosity (foam collapse) as degassing occurs and pressurisation develops as the permeability of the dome and conduit system decreases. Superimposed upon this activity are small explosive events of shallow origin. These we interpret as subsidence events on the concentric fractures leading to short-term pressure increases just below the crater floor.