Preliminary Discussion on Current Status and Development Direction of Heavy Oil Recovery Technologies

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1006-6535.2020.06.004

Abstract

Abstract: Heavy oil reserves account for more than 2/3 of the discovered crude oil resources in the world. Due to the high viscosity and poor fluidity of heavy oil, its recovery is difficult, with high technical requirements. According to the characteristics of many types and large depth changes of heavy oil reservoirs in China, the current status of heavy oil recovery at home and abroad and the main technical direction of improving recovery efficiency were analyzed and summarized; combining with the field production performance, the adaptability, application potential and main technical challenges of existing commercial recovery technologies to different types of heavy oil reservoirs were discussed. The results show that steam huff and puff is still the main method of heavy oil recovery in China. However, most of the oil fields have entered the end period of production, and the recovery efficiency is low. At present, the application scope of mature replacement technologies (steam flooding, SAGD and in-situ combustion) is limited, so it is urgent to develop new replacement technologies. The series of heavy oil development technologies in the middle and deep layers are relatively mature, but the EOR technologies for deep, ultra-deep and complex types (such as fractured/karst cave) of heavy oil reservoirs are not yet mature. It is of more practical significance and application prospect to strengthen the research on frontier technologies such as generating steam downhole, solvent assisted, in-situ upgrading and gasification. The research results can be used for reference and guidance to expand the research field and direction of heavy oil recovery technologies.

Key words: heavy oil recovery, technical status, summarization, replacement pattern, development direction

CLC Number:

TE345

Jiang Qi, You Hongjuan, Pan Jingjun, Wang Zhongyuan, Gai Pingyuan, Ian Gates, Liu Jiali. Preliminary Discussion on Current Status and Development Direction of Heavy Oil Recovery Technologies[J]. Special Oil & Gas Reservoirs, 2020, 27(6): 30-39.

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