Mechanism and Parameter Optimization of Thermal Solvent-Assisted Gravity Drainage Oil Recovery in Heavy Oil Reservoirs

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1006-6535.2024.01.009

Abstract

Abstract: There are significant heat loss, high water cut, and poor development effects during the recovery process of heavy oil reservoirs. Taking the Mackay River Reservoir in Canada as the research object, the numerical simulation model of hot solvent-assisted gravity drainage technology was constructed, and characteristics of SAGD, VAPEX, and hot solvent-assisted gravity drainage recovery were compared. The parameters are optimized for production pressures, injection rates, and injection temperatures of hot solvents. The results show that the hot solvent-assisted gravity drainage technology is better than SAGD and VAPEX in terms of injection and production differential pressure, oil recovery, and oil recovery rate; in the actual development process, the optimal conditions for the application of hot solvent-assisted gravity drainage technology are as follows: the bottomhole production pressure is 700 kPa, the injection rate is 160 m³/d, and the injection temperature is 275 ℃. The results of the three-dimensional experiments further validate the results of the numerical simulation calculations. This study provides a reference for efficiently developing shallow heavy oil reservoirs.

Key words: heavy oil recovery, gravity drainage, parameter optimization, numerical simulation, enhanced oil recovery

CLC Number:

TE357.46

Li Songyan, Cheng Hao, Han Rui, Wei Yaohui, Li Minghe, Feng Shibo. Mechanism and Parameter Optimization of Thermal Solvent-Assisted Gravity Drainage Oil Recovery in Heavy Oil Reservoirs[J]. Special Oil & Gas Reservoirs, 2024, 31(1): 74-80.

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