4 ways to be smarter about SAGD

In an information overload age, there are at least 4 ways to be smarter about thermal operations including SAGD and CSS. Among others things, smart operators know how to change their disposal limit.

If your thermal scheme needs to dispose more than its disposal limit, you might be able to convince the regulator to give you a special dispensation.

The operator of this scheme tried to convince the regulator that it required a special disposal limit. They complained about higher organic content and alkalinity of their inlet stream.

In particular, the supplemental information requests illuminate the challenges these components pose to their system. Check out the corrosion pits on this boiler tube to illustrate the hazards in their feed water.

The regulator has imposed disposal limits on thermal schemes to encourage process water reuse. A disposal limit is a percentage of the inlet water to a facility that can be disposed rather than recycled. Typically, SAGD and CSS schemes are only allowed to dispose 3% of the fresh water taken in -- that means that 97% must be recycled and reused.

But this operator managed to convince the regulator to change his disposal limit with some well crafted arguments. That's a bit like changing a speed limit where you always get a ticket.

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Tags: Thermal, Compliance, Facilities, Heavy Oil

  26 Jul 2016

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