Abstract: Super heavy oil exceeds the viscosity limit of steam flooding and is generally considered unsuitable for steam flooding development. In fact, the steam flooding for super heavy oil has a threshold temperature, and steam flooding can be implemented when the reservoir temperature exceeds the threshold temperature. Aiming at the unclear understanding of the steam flooding technical limit for super heavy oil in Shu-1 block of Liaohe Oilfield, a threshold temperature model for steam flooding was established using laboratory experiment and numerical simulation methods. And a forecasting formula of the lowest oil production limit under different oil prices was also established using economic benefit method. The research results show that the threshold temperature for steam flooding in the Shu-1 block ranges from 80 ℃ to 100 ℃; at an oil price of 2 248 yuan/t, the minimum oil production limit is 2.5×10⁴t, and the minimum oil layer thickness limit is 14-18 m. Based on the pilot test, the limits of the maximum liquid production and the minimum steam injection rate of a single well were determined, and the well pattern for steam flooding was optimized to be inverted nine-spot pattern with a well spacing of 70 m. At present, 436 steam flooding well groups have been optimally deployed in the Xing Ⅱ-Ⅴ oil layer group in Shu-1 block, and the recovery rate after steam flooding is predicted to be 62.1%. This research is of great significance to the development of similar reservoirs.

Key words: super heavy oil, steam flooding, technical limit, threshold temperature, limit production, well pattern, injection-production parameters