Into the deep – New Technology magazine article

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Abstract

Steam or CO2 injection methods account for most of the oil recovered worldwide with Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) methods. Currently heavy oil production is less than 7% of the world’s oil production; this percentage is not expected to increase dramatically without significant changes in reservoir management. Steam and CO2 have been used successfully since early 1960s — steam in viscous heavy oils and CO2 mostly in pressurized light oil fields but also in some heavy oil fields. What limits a wider application is depth and high pressure for steam and CO2 availability for the relatively large inventory of light oil fields that exist worldwide. Although there is some overlap in fields that could benefit from either application, there are not many recorded attempts to implement both methods simultaneously. Air injection, although it was tried first as an EOR method, has not been widely implemented as in-situ combustion is difficult to control in shallow reservoirs and especially without water coinjection.

The paper describes the benefits that result from operation of a downhole steam generation (DHSG) which combines thermal and nitrogen or CO2 EOR. In addition, by controlling the ratios of steam, excess CO2 and excess O2 (where applicable) it is possible to use in-situ oxidation in a controlled manner and accelerate production of oil. Moreover, the CO2 that is generated by in situ can be used elsewhere. The paper includes discussion of conceptual reservoir simulation and economic studies that demonstrate the applicability of DHSG in deeper warm-climate conventional heavy oil fields, as well as challenging arctic environments.

Advances from the aerospace industry that enabled this DHSG system, the surface processing design, and well placement strategies are also discussed in this article. They provide an overview of the entire recovery system and present an opportunity to develop both virgin resources and oil fields that were prolific in primary and secondary operations and are rightfully candidates for EOR.

Introduction
Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) is a general term that can be defined as one or more of a variety of processes that seek to improve recovery of hydrocarbon from a reservoir after the primary production phase. (Oil and Gas Field Technical Terms Glossary 2011) EOR is designed to increase the mobility of the oil, with an objective of improving oil sweep efficiency and/or enabling lower residual oil saturation. (Senergy Group 2011)

Improved sweep efficiency and lower residual oil saturation is achieved by using a range of methods, including gas injection (CO2, natural gas, nitrogen), thermal recovery (which includes cyclic steam, steam flooding, and fire flooding), chemical injection, and microbial injection (Senergy Group 2011).

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www.theenergymakers.com/episodes/october-2011/episode-14.html#viddler_energymakers

Authors: Anthony Castrogiovanni, SPE, ACENT Laboratories LLC; Nick Fitzpatrick, SPE, and Charles H. Ware, SPE, World Energy Systems Inc.

Abstract

Steam generated at the surface is currently the most common technology for in-situ thermal stimulation of heavy oil, however it has significant limitations due to heat loss that make it uneconomic for some 2 trillion barrels of deeper heavy oil resources. Downhole steam generators (DHSGs) have the ability to unlock these deeper deposits and allow steam to be used where it was previously not economical. A brief review of recent advances in DHSG technology and a description of potential applications using thermal oil recovery modeling and simulation are presented here. The DHSG technology described can be particularly suitable for recovering a number of known heavy oil deposits around the world that have experienced low recovery efficiencies through primary and secondary (water flood) production methods. These deeper resources typically require thermal stimulation to reduce viscosity in-situ for improved production volumes. Cost estimates and economic projections were developed based on a full green field project using production estimates obtained from STARS, a widely accepted heavy oil simulation program. Simulations and associated economic studies for the fields modeled, assuming the deployment of DHSGs, showed viable economics for all cases at both USD $75/bbl and USD $100/bbl 2009 WTI oil prices. The technological constraints of deep heavy oil production may be removed by further development of DHSG technology including direct-fired, umbilical-supported downhole natural gas fired systems that can be operated without maintenance for long periods of time. DHSG technology development activities are presented and specific issues relating to previous unsuccessful efforts are discussed. Finally, a new generation of DHSG technology is introduced and key design and operating problems with proposed solutions are presented. The uniqueness of the downhole environment is discussed along with the special requirements imposed on a downhole combustion system as a result. Technical challenges include tool positioning and inaccessibility, installation and operational safety, pressure management, and flame stability & control. Advances from the aerospace industry are also discussed as they pertain to robust combustion system development and downhole tool design which help enable a broad range of operating pressures and flow rate turndown. The demonstrated potential for DHSG technology to create optimum steam and EOR gas mixes that are tailored for a given reservoir may provide the basis for a new generation of thermal in-situ EOR technology to unlock deep heavy oil resources as well as those in environmentally challenged locales such as offshore or under arctic or permafrost environments.

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