Design of Hybrid Steam-In Situ Combustion Bitumen Recovery Processes

Given enormous capital costs, operating expenses, flue gas emissions, water treatment and handling costs of thermal in situ bitumen recovery processes, improving the overall efficiency by lowering energy requirements, environmental impact, and costs of these production techniques is a priority. Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) is the most widely used in situ recovery technique in Athabasca reservoirs. Steam generation is done on surface and consequently, because of heat losses, the energy efficiency of SAGD can never be ideal with respect to the energy delivered to the sandface. An alternative to surface steam generation is in situ combustion (ISC) where heat is generated within the formation through injection of oxygen at a sufficiently high pressure to initiate combustion of bitumen. In this manner, the heat from the combustion reactions can be used directly to mobilize the bitumen. As an alternative, the heat can be used to generate steam within the formation which then is the agent to move heat in the reservoir. In this research, alternative hybrid techniques with simultaneous and sequential steam-oxygen injection processes are examined to maximize the thermal efficiency of the recovery process. These hybrid processes have the advantage that during ISC, steam is generated within the reservoir from injected and formation water and as a product of oxidation. This implies that ex situ steam generation requirements are reduced and if there is in situ storage of combustion gases, that overall gas emissions are reduced. In this research, detailed reservoir simulations are done to examine the dynamics of hybrid processes to enable design of these processes. The results reveal that hybrid processes can lower emitted carbon dioxide-to-oil ratio by about 46%, decrease the consumed natural gas-to-oil ratio by about 73%, reduce the cumulative energy-to-oil ratio by between 40% and 70% compared to conventional SAGD, and drop water consumption per unit oil produced. However, oil recovery is between 25% and 40% below that of SAGD. Design of successful hybrid steam–oxygen processes must take into account the balance between injected steam and amount of injected oxygen and combustion gas products that dilute injected and in situ-generated steam in the depletion chamber by lowering its partial pressure, and thus its saturation temperature which in turn impacts production rates and recovery.     

Applicability of Kinetic Models for In Situ Combustion Processes with Different Oil Types

The in situ combustion (ISC) process is of interest as an enhanced oil recovery method because it is an alternative to traditional steam-based processes for heavy oil and bitumen recovery. ISC is a technique applicable outside the window of reservoir conditions deemed appropriate for steam injection (such as deeper and thinner reservoirs). The process involves complex chemical reactions and physical recovery mechanisms, and predicting the likelihood of successful ISC in field applications remains challenging. This paper describes a numerical investigation of the capability of different ISC kinetic models to predict the combustion behaviors of different types of oils (light oil, heavy oil, and bitumen). Three kinetic models (of Coats, Crookston, and Belgrave) were selected from literature and compared using data from four published combustion-tube experiments. The comparison procedure is as follows: (1) validate the numerical modeling of each kinetic model by matching the selected experimental results or duplicating the numerical results found in published literature; (2) adjust fluid viscosities and densities to match the fluid properties of each experiment;and (3) use each validated kinetic model to predict the performance of the other experiments without further tuning the kinetic parameters. The knowledge derived from the experiments provides guidance for choosing the appropriate kinetic model when no other data are available and for the preliminary design and screening study of a potential ISC project.     

Optimization of SAGD Well Elevation

The application of steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) to recover heavy oil sands is becoming increasingly important in the northern Alberta McMurray Formation because of the vast resources/reserves accessible with this mechanism. Selecting the stratigraphic elevations of SAGD well pairs is a vital decision for reservoir evaluation and planning. The inherent uncertainty in the distribution of geological variables significantly influences this decision. Geostatistical simulation is used to capture geological uncertainty, which is used can be transformed into a distribution of the best possible well pair elevations. A simple exhaustive calculation scheme is used to determine the optimum stratigraphic location of a SAGD well pair where the recovery R is maximized. There are three basic steps to the methodology: (1) model the uncertainty in the top continuous bitumen (TCB) and bottom continuous bitumen (BCB) surfaces, (2) calculate the recovery at all possible elevation increments within the TCB and BCB interval, and (3) identify the elevation that maximizes R. This is repeated for multiple TCB/BCB pairs of surfaces to assess uncertainty. The methodology is described and implemented on a subset of data from the Athabasca Oilsands in Fort McMurray, Alberta.     

Stratigraphic Dip Analysis – A Novel Application for Detailed Geological Modeling of Point Bars,and Predicting Bitumen Grade,McMurray Formation,Muskeg River Mine,Northeast Alberta

At the Muskeg River Mine, bitumen is hosted in the clastic sediments of the lower Cretaceous McMurray Formation. Within the mine area, the McMurray Formation is divided informally into mappable units representing fluvial, continental floodplain, open estuarine, estuarine channel complex (ECC), and marine environments. Fluvial, open estuarine, and ECC deposits host more than 90% of the mineable bitumen reserves. Bitumen grade is more consistent within the fluvial and open estuarine units (12–15 mass%), whereas ECC sediments are characterized by significant lateral and vertical grade variability (0–15 mass%). In the ECC deposits, bitumen grade is controlled by significant reservoir heterogeneity. Facies assemblages including point-bar deposits (PB), abandoned channel-fills (AC), and tidal flat deposits (TF), create complex internal geometries, architectures and associated reservoir properties. Traditional facies mapping and correlation has proven to be difficult even in closely spaced wells for the ECC deposits of the McMurray Formation; thus, an alternative technique using concepts of Stratigraphic Dip Analysis (SDA) was developed to assess bitumen grade for the deposits at the Muskeg River Mine. This approach involves three main steps: (l) juxtaposing azimuth maps (rose diagrams) over horizon slice facies maps for selected stratigraphic intervals to identify major channel trends (paleo-current directions); (2) comparison of dips, with corresponding sedimentary structures allows for a better prediction and geometries of point bars and abandoned channel-fills; and (3) comparison of dip trends with dominant lithology of facies assemblages and available bitumen grades provides a base for accurate delineation of architectural elements. A detailed case study is presented and shows that this approach provides a base for accurate delineation of architectural elements and confirms that bitumen grade decreases laterally with inferred maturity of point bar successions.     

Exhumed hydrocarbon traps on the North Atlantic margin: Stratigraphy,palaeontology, provenance and bitumen distribution,an integrated approach

Previous work has demonstrated the presence of a number of exhumed hydrocarbon traps in central East Greenland. Re-evaluation of the stratigraphy alongside detailed investigation of the occurrence of bitumen within the Mols Bjerge and Laplace Bjerg exhumed hydrocarbon traps provides new perspectives on these structures, as well as the petroleum geology of East Greenland and the wider North Atlantic. Sedimentological and stratigraphic studies, augmented with palynological and provenance investigations, have constrained the dating and correlation of the strata exposed in the Mols Bjerge and Laplace Bjerg. Petrographic analysis, alongside analysis of the bitumen identified, has highlighted a much wider distribution of hydrocarbon than previously recognized. It was previously considered that Jurassic strata formed the main reservoir interval within the Mols Bjerge and Laplace Bjerg exhumed hydrocarbon traps. It is shown here that the reservoir intervals in the Laplace Bjerg trap lie within the Late Triassic Ørsted Dal and Vega Sund members, which contain up to 18% pyrobitumen and were previously misidentified as Jurassic. The Jurassic Bristol Elv Formation is the most extensively bitumen stained unit in the Mols Bjerge trap. However, occurrences of pyrobitumen (up to 3%) are recorded throughout the Triassic stratigraphy, including the Early Triassic Wordie Creek Formation. Faults, thick calcrete development and regionally continuous mudstone units play an important role in compartmentalizing the palaeohydrocarbon accumulations.     

Improved Minimum Miscibility Pressure Prediction for Gas Injection Process in Petroleum Reservoir

Determination of gas–oil minimum miscibility conditions is one of the important design parameters to improve the displacement efficiency of the hydrocarbon reservoir during enhanced oil recovery with gas injection. In this work, a support vector regression (SVR) model is developed using experimental data to estimate the minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) for various reservoir fluids and injection gases. Experimental MMP data taken from the reliable literature were used as input. Each data point input includes methane and intermediate components mole percent, plus fraction properties and reservoir temperature related to reservoir fluid and CO₂, H₂S, N₂ and intermediate mole fractions, and intermediate properties of the injected gas. Experimental MMP is regarded as the model output. The database contains 135 datasets, from which 125 datasets were used for model development, and the rest were used for model evaluation. Genetic algorithm was implemented to optimize the SVR model parameters. The proposed data-driven model was verified by statistical validation data. The model results illustrate a correlation coefficient (R²) of 0.999. In addition, the SVR results demonstrate the proposed model to be a fast tool and a robust approach to map input space to output features. The SVR model was compared to popular data-driven MMP estimation models as well. This comparison presents an acceptable accuracy relative to this estimation model. Finally, the presented model was evaluated against a comprehensive theoretical model of slim tube compositional simulation on a trusted literature dataset.     

On the Impact of Permeability Heterogeneity on SAGD Steam Chamber Growth

Evolution of steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) steam chambers in heavy oil and bitumen reservoirs is tied to uniformity of steam pressure and quality along the length of the perforated interval of the well and reservoir geology and fluid properties adjacent to the well. If the reservoir geology has poor permeability at an interval along the wellpair, then steam delivery to and fluids production from the reservoir is not uniform. If the steam is well distributed throughout the injection well, then the key factor for a uniform steam chamber along the wellpair is reservoir geology. This is especially important in highly heterogeneous, variable thickness reservoirs where geology and reservoir oil composition may vary significantly over the length of a wellpair. Heterogeneity of a growing SAGD steam chamber is related to heterogeneity of the underlying geology. In this study the oil sands models are geostatistically populated to model spatial heterogeneity of permeability. The temperature profile (chamber growth), steam chamber height, conductive, convective, and total heat fluxes have been examined in each case. The results reveal that the length scales of steam chamber growth depend on the permeability heterogeneity. This provides a means to decide length scales for placement of in-well control devices in steam injectors in SAGD.     

Evaluation of Engineered Geothermal Systems as a Heat Source for Oil Sands Production in Northern Alberta

This paper evaluates the application of geothermal energy by numerically modeling the heat extraction that would result from the injection of cold water into an artificially fractured hot dry rock (HDR). The HDR that would be utilized in Alberta is expected to be granite with a network of pre-existing natural fractures. However, to ensure a continued flow of injected water from the reservoir to the production wells, creation of additional fractures is required. Thus, the properties of these fractures are of prime importance to the efficiency of geothermal energy production. The fracture networks for the simulations were created using a numerical code and were converted into a grid format to be used in a commercial thermal simulator. A new approach to embed a complex fracture system into the numerical model was applied. Various properties of the fractures such as aperture, length, and spacing were changed and their absolute and relative effects on energy production were quantified and the results are presented in this paper. This modeling technique was also verified by comparison with the conventional dual porosity model and by performing a history match with real field data obtained from literature. The applicability of this approach to provide heat for oil sands extraction was investigated using the volumes of water currently needed in northern Alberta. Based on these constraints, numerical simulations were run to evaluate the optimum well spacing that would be required using a three-well configuration. In this simulation, the fracture parameters (density and aperture) were kept fixed assuming that they are not affected by cold water injection. The results of this study suggest that geothermal energy has a potential to be a sustainable form of thermal energy for oil sands extraction in northern Alberta.     

龙滩水库溶解无机碳来源及变化特征

河流在碳的运输过程中扮演着重要角色。为探究河流筑坝拦截后龙滩水库溶解无机碳(DIC)的来源和变化特征,于2016年7月和2017年1月采集水样,然后分析了河水DIC及其碳稳定同位素(δ13C)值。研究结果表明:(1)δ13CDIC值具有显著的时空差异,表明两个季节影响DIC的主要因素和DIC的来源并不相同。雨季,DIC及其δ13C主要分布在2.04~4.12 mmol·L^-1和-5.52‰^-2.87‰的范围内;旱季,水体DIC为3.33~4.61 mmol·L^-1,而δ13CDIC显著低于雨季为-15.90‰^-9.12‰。雨季,稀释效应显著降低了DIC浓度,由于水体热分层使得DIC在水柱剖面上差异显著,而旱季由于混合作用的影响,在剖面上差异较低。(2)在雨季,河流δ13CDIC较旱季明显偏正,碳酸盐岩的强烈风化输入大量HCO3-是DIC的主要来源。在旱季,DIC和δ13CDIC成反比关系,δ13CDIC在旱季变得更低,其大部分的DIC来自于土壤CO2输入和原位有机呼吸作用。旱季水体热分层消失,混合作用使得底部具有较低δ13C值的含碳水体上涌,并与表水层混合导致其δ13CDIC值低于雨季。这种季节性模式与自然河流不同,而是与湖泊的季节变化特征更为类似,说明河流拦截蓄水后逐渐湖沼化,并显著影响了DIC的循环。     

郴州工业场地重金属和PAHs复合污染特征及风险评价

研究了郴州市焦电、煤矿和冶炼等三类工业场地土壤中Cu、Pb、Zn、Cr、Cd、As等重金属和16种PAH的污染状况及评价。结果表明:冶炼类工业场地主要存在Pb、Zn、Cu、As及PAHs污染,超标率均在50%以上,最高超标近百倍。煤矿类场地主要存在As和PAHs污染,其中As超标率为87.5%,最高超标2.4倍;PAHs超标率为75%,最高超标6.7倍。焦电类场地主要为PAHs污染,超标率达81.2%,最高超标34倍。对三类工业场地PAHs进行源解析,发现焦电类工业场地主要为煤燃烧源,而煤矿类主要为石油源,冶炼类场地主要为煤和石油的混合来源。三类工业场地存在不同程度的复合污染,其中As与PAHs复合污染最为普遍,Pb与PAHs在三类工业场地均显著相关。对三类工业场地PAHs和重金属进行污染评价的结果为,冶炼类>焦电类>煤矿类,其中焦电类工业场地以PAHs污染最严重,冶炼类工业场地以重金属污染为主。     

N，N’-双（3-氨丙基）草酰胺合铜非等温热分解动力学研究

采用 TG- DTG- DTA热分析技术研究了 N,N’-双 (3-氨丙基 )草酰胺合胴 ( )配合物在动态空气气氛中的热行为 ;用微分法 (Achar法 )和积分法 (Coats- Redfen法 )协同处理非等温 TG数据 ,通过对比热分解动力学参数 E和 ln A,提出了配合物第一阶段热分解动力学方程 :dα/ dt =Ae- E/ RT (1-α ) 2 及第二阶段热分解动力学方程 :dα/ dt=Ae- E/ RT(1-α) ;并由动力学补偿效应获得了 E和 ln A的数学表达式     

Proppant Crushing Mechanisms Under Reservoir Conditions: Insights into Long-Term Integrity of Unconventional Energy Production

Proppant crushing, a major proppant failure mechanism, occurs in geothermal energy and oil/gas stimulation production stages when the level of net stress exerted on the proppant exceeds the actual crush resistance of the material. Loss of effective reservoir conductivity due to proppant crushing can result in significant loss in productivity, and so it is crucial to understand the realistic proppant mechanical performances under deep reservoir conditions. This review provides a comprehensive overview of proppant crushing at the micro- to macro-levels by analyzing single proppant breakage, as well as re-arrangement and breakage mechanisms of proppant packs under in situ fracture environments. The choice of an appropriate proppant type based on the fracture treatment plays a key role in effective geothermal and oil/gas recovery. In addition, injection of proppants with better characteristics (higher sphericity, lower size, better gradation and lower granular porosity) can significantly influence the reduction of the extent of proppant crushing. Moreover, this study compares the performances and responses of different types of proppants upon proppant interaction with geothermal and oil/gas reservoir environments. Furthermore, this paper discusses various proppant types and their enhanced characteristics, which can be utilized as controlling measures for proppant crushing during unconventional energy extraction.

     

Volatility of Bitumen Prices and Implications for the Industry

Sustained crude oil price increases have led to increased investment in and production of Canadian bitumen to supplement North American oil supplies. For new projects, the evaluation of profitability is based on a prediction of the future price path of bitumen and ultimately light/medium crude oil. This article examines the relationship between the bitumen and light crude oil prices in the context of a simple error-correction economic-adjustment model. The analysis shows bitumen prices to be significantly more volatile than light crude prices. Also, the dominant effect of an oil price shock on bitumen prices is immediate and is amplified, both in absolute terms and percentage price changes. It is argued that the bitumen industry response to such market risks will likely be a realignment toward vertical integration via new downstream construction, mergers, or on a de facto basis by the establishment of alliances.     

中国高耗能产品生产与区域PM2.5浓度的动态关联效应——基于省级尺度的分析

面向经济高质量发展及实现“双碳”战略目标,中国传统能源密集型产业发展的资源环境效应备受学界关注。基于2000—2017年中国31个省（直辖市、自治区）的面板数据,通过构建面板向量自回归模型（PVAR）,结合脉冲响应分析和方差分解及动态系统GMM模型,探究中国火电、水泥、钢铁、焦炭等典型高耗能产品的生产规模与区域PM_2.5污染的动态关联效应。结果表明：① 短期内,省域PM_2.5浓度具有明显的时间惯性,火电、水泥、钢铁、焦炭产业规模的短期波动对其冲击影响有限;② 动态影响显示,区域钢铁生产规模对PM_2.5浓度的影响程度最大,火电、焦炭行业次之;③ 长期影响结果显示,钢铁、焦炭产业的扩张加剧了PM_2.5污染,而火电、水泥产品生产规模未与PM_2.5污染表现出同步特征;④ 区域PM_2.5污染成因具有复合性,研究期内控制变量如地区经济规模、工业化程度、城镇化率的提高加剧了PM_2.5污染,地方政府环境污染治理力度越弱则PM_2.5污染程度越重。中国在高耗能产品生产规模逐年增加的情况下,有效地控制了区域PM_2.5污染的加剧。未来应进一步提高行业标准,通过技术创新和产业结构升级控制污染物排放强度;增强地方政府对环境污染的治理力度;研究能源原材料产业的适度产能规模,在满足中国新型基础设施、新型城镇化等重大工程建设对基础原材料产业需求的同时,实现环境质量的优化。     

Bitumen Prices and Structural Changes in North American Crude Oil Markets

In an earlier report, changes in bitumen prices at Hardesty, Alberta, Canada, were modeled as the responses to changes in monthly prices of Hardesty light/medium crude oil for the period 2000–2006 with a simple error correction econometric model. This note re-examines that price relationship for the period 2009–2014. Over the period 2006–2014, there was also rapid growth in North American light oil production from low-permeability carbonate, sandstone, and shale reservoirs. During that period, Canadian raw bitumen production grew by more than 12% per year and there was significant geographical diversification in its markets. Results of the statistical analysis showed that the change in the dynamic relationships between bitumen prices and Hardesty light oil prices probably reflected, in part, the maturation of bitumen markets and closer integration with North American light oil markets. The analysis also examines the dynamic relationships between bitumen prices and West Texas Intermediate and Brent international benchmark crude oil prices. Ideally, if bitumen prices are found to be closely related to a widely traded benchmark crude oil, the benchmark crude oil price forecasts could be used as a basis for predicting bitumen prices. However, neither of international benchmark crude oils tested had high explanatory power.     

东北三省耕地物候期对热量资源变化的响应

选取1998-2010 年期间的SPOT/VGT NDVI逐旬时间序列数据、物候观测数据和气候数据,利用函数拟合方法、GIS空间分析和统计方法,分析了东北三省不同耕地物候期对热量资源变化的响应关系。首先,基于拟合数据提取了耕地物候期特征(包括生长季开始期、峰值期、结束期与生长季长度等),验证结果显示与不同作物的观测物候期存在明显对应关系,能较好地反映作物物候期特征的宏观时空分异。其次,分析了1991-2009 年期间区内主要农业热量资源(≥ 10 oC初日,初霜日,温度生长期天数和≥ 10 oC积温) 的时空变化特征。最后,重点分析了1998-2009年期间耕地物候期特征对热量资源变化的响应。结果表明,生长季开始期与≥10 oC初日在松嫩平原北部、三江平原东部和吉林省中东部的正相关系显著(P < 0.01);生长季长度与温度生长期天数亦在上述区域内表现为显著正相关关系(P < 0.05);然而,生长季结束期与初霜日的相关关系整体上较不明显;此外,生长季长度与≥ 10 oC积温的相关关系存在两种相反的情形,在松嫩平原西北部、三江平原、吉林省中部和辽宁省中部的负相关关系显著(P < 0.05),而黑龙江省中南部和三江平原部分区域,两者相关系数达到0.55 (P < 0.05),分别反映了作物生长发育周期的缩短态势和中早熟作物被中晚熟作物替代的趋势。     

软钾镁矾复盐的热行为研究

通过对合成软钾镁矾（Ｋ２ＳＯ４·ＭｇＳＯ４·６Ｈ２Ｏ）的热分析研究，由软钾镁矾的ＴＧ、ＤＳＣ确定了脱水和分解温度，结合恒温热失重实验给出了脱水过程的热化学反应方程式及其产物的Ｘ－ｒａｙ粉末衍射结果，并得到了各脱水阶段的有关热化学反应的动力学参数ｎ、ｌｏｇＫ０和Ｅ．     

基于辐射井抽水试验的水文地质参数求解

在新疆台兰河流域冲洪积扇平原修建坎儿井式地下水库,以解决干旱区水资源合理利用分配等问题。为确定该地下水库库区的水文地质参数,本文利用研究区抽水试验资料,采用等效大井法和博尔顿法计算含水层的渗透系数和给水度,并利用MODFLOW软件建立了数值模型,进行参数反演,以验证计算结果的准确性、可靠性。利用等效大井法在已知抽水量和降深的前提下,反求含水层渗透系数;通过博尔顿法的“迟后疏干”效应,采用配线法确定给水度。计算结果表明：对于台兰河流域含水层的水文地质参数的计算,采用等效大井法和博尔顿法计算的结果较符合实际,为今后计算干旱区含水层水文地质参数提供参考依据。     

Implementation of Rock Typing on Waterflooding Process During Secondary Recovery in Oil Reservoirs: A Case Study,El Morgan Oil Field,Gulf of Suez,Egypt

Waterflooding is one of the most common secondary recovery methods in the oil and gas industry. Globally, this process sometimes suffers a technical failure and inefficiency. Therefore, a better understanding of geology, reservoir characteristics, rock typing and discrimination, hydraulic flow units, and production data is essential to analyze reasons and mechanisms of water injection failure in the injection wells. Water injection failure was reported in the Middle Miocene Hammam Faraun reservoir at El Morgan oil field in the Gulf of Suez, where two wells have been selected as injector’s wells. In the first well (A1), the efficiency of injection was not good, whereas in the other analog A2 well good efficiency was assigned. Therefore, it is required to assess the injection loss in the low efficiency well, where all aspects of the geological, reservoir and production data of the studied wells were integrated to get a complete vision for the reasons of injection failure. The available data include core analysis data (vertical and horizontal permeabilities, helium porosity, bulk density, and water and oil saturations), petrographical studies injection and reservoir water chemistry, reservoir geology, production, and injection history. The quality of the data was examined and a set of reliable X–Y plots between the available data were introduced and the reservoir quality in both wells was estimated using reservoir quality index, normalized porosity index, and flow zone indicator. Integration and processing of the core and reservoir engineering data indicate that heterogeneity of the studied sequence was the main reason for the waterflooding inefficiency at the El Morgan A1 well. The best reservoir quality was assigned to the topmost part of the reservoir, which caused disturbance of the flow regime of reservoir fluids. Therefore, it is clearly indicated that rock typing and inadequate injection perforation strategy that has not been aligned with accurate hydraulic flow units are the key control parameters in the waterflooding efficiency.