9 potent ways to enhance steam injection: SAGD

If you want to save cost, what is the best fluid to inject with steam? Operators are co-injecting many different fluids in the field to improve their SAGD operations.

Adding the right injectants can both decrease your operating cost and increase recovery in your SAGD operation.

But if you do it wrong, it might just seem like you're flushing money down the well. You need to learn what others have already tried and measure their success and failure.

Technical papers are fine. Simulations are great. But actually seeing these steam additives in the field takes the surprises out of the equation.

Reduce cost   OR   increase recovery

Some injectants take the place of steam. They are mostly designed to cut down the steam generation requirement. Steam is very expensive to generate. Reducing the steam-oil ratio (SOR) can drastically reduce capital and operating costs.

Some injectants change the solubility and viscosity of bitumen by chemistry. Steam aims to change bitumen viscosity by changing the reservoir temperature. But solvents change the viscosity chemically by mixing with the bitumen.

Look back at the field trials of others

It makes sense to see what others have done in the field. A field "look back" needs to consider the operator's intentions and their actual results.

The best way to conduct a look back is to read the application documents of others. These documents show their intentions and promises to the regulator.

They also indicate the actual UWI locations of the proposed operation. Using these locations, you can review injection and production history and draw your own conclusions about success or failure of the field trial.

Ever wonder how steam additives worked in the field? You can find out by reviewing these nine applications by other operators. Just follow the links to get their application documents.

1. Methane and steam injection primer

You can think of a SAGD scheme as a two dimensional graph with axes of Steam injection and Methane injection. Some schemes are inject steam only. Many schemes are injecting both steam and methane. Find out when one operator thinks is the best time to inject methane in the life cycle of a SAGD project.

2. Methane or Propane?

Some operators are experimenting with each in the same field. One operator is a proponent for injecting propane into his thermal operation. On top of saving steam generation costs, water processing and disposal costs, he believes he will generate 25% more bitumen recovery.

And later, you can produce all your propane back for resale.

3. Solvent SAGD backgrounder

One early solvent trial is very interesting in its description and simulation of the solvent process.

Even before the operator decided to start construction, she decided to include solvent as part of her recovery process.

4. Propane injection and infills

One operator is experimenting with propane injection in a SAGD pair and adding infill producers. He believes that this will increase recovery of bitumen outside steam chambers and also reduce steam requirements. He describes his patented process complete in detail and reveals projected recovery factors. He also has conjectures about the interaction of solvent with non-condensable gas.

5. Butane injection

One of the oldest solvent SAGD field tests is still getting changes and testing. Its operator has started several butane solvent co-injection projects and now is testing propane.

6. Mixing diluent downhole

One operator with mature thermal knowledge has ended an experimental scheme mixing diluent downhole. In his application, he reports the findings of his 10 year study. He believes recovery improved and has plans to extend his pilot.>

7. Reduce steam oil ratio with surfactant

One operator believes that by injecting surfactant in a SAGD pattern he can change the emulsion production from oil/water emulsion to a water/oil emulsion and therefore reduce inter facial tension. He hopes this will increase bitumen recovery without any additional steam generation.

8. Surfactant to heal hot spots

One operator documents his attempt and improving injection conformance by injecting surfactant into SAGD hot spots. His application documents the thinking behind this technology for reservoir path healing.

9. Toe to heel Air injection

Toe-to-heel air injection (THAI) was an enhanced bitumen process that was touted to be the best and cheapest recovery process.p>

We've given you 9 applications that document field trials of steam co-injection, but there are many more. Some of these strategies could drastically improve your thermal scheme.

You owe it to yourself and your investors to read the application documents that explore these pilot projects. You decide whether they will work for your field.

You can help yourself to their application documents by using our self serve, secure check out. Follow the links above to buy these documents now.

All these have been passed the theoretical phase and lab test phase. Each has been implemented in the field.

Tags: Thermal, Cut costs, Heavy Oil

Granger Low   4 Apr 2017

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