CSS heat wave

CSS steam wave movieWhat's the best way to operate CSS? What produces the most bitumen and uses the least steam?

Cyclic steam stimulation (CSS) has many variants. One operator steams across patterns using a wave pattern. He believes steaming in a wave pattern introduces more gentle flexing of the overlying caprock, reduces cap rock fractures, lowers steam volume but increases recovery.

You can get his application documents within moments from our self serve application portal.

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Wave history

The wave pattern was originally conceived to address thermal surface heave. Operators first used it believing that reduced steam can still improve recovery.

But CSS wave has advanced a long way since it was first used in 2011. Now operators believe that if they inject less at the ends of the pattern, they move the caprock in a smoother way preserving its integrity. They also list other advantages of steaming in a wave.

If you're using CSS and haven't considered wave steaming, you really should look into recent advances.

Leading indicators of thermal technology

You can't keep up with bitumen thermal technology by going to conferences. The technology changes way too quickly. Operators don't allow their employees to publish early results in technical journals.

The best way to keep up with technology is to watch applications. Each application is full of technology results and future plans.

SIRs - a gold mine of information

And applications are adjudicated by an engaged regulator focused on reviewing the working details of any scheme. Their supplemental information requests (SIRs) push operators to disclose even more details of technological plans. They reveal details of field operational problems.

Answers to SIRs show even more critical detail than the original applications. AppIntel includes the application documents, the supplemental information requests and the disposition documents. And you can get them in moments from AppIntel -- not days or weeks.

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Tags: Thermal, Heavy Oil

Granger Low  17 Nov 2016



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