Cold, Hot and Steam Assistant Solvent Injection Processes for Heavy Oil Recovery

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dc.contributor.advisorChen, Zhangxing (John)
dc.contributor.authorWang, Qiong
dc.contributor.committeememberAbedi, Jalal
dc.contributor.committeememberPereira Almao, Pedro R.
dc.date2018-11
dc.date.accessioned2018-07-06T14:36:25Z
dc.date.available2018-07-06T14:36:25Z
dc.date.issued2018-06-26
dc.description.abstractSolvent-based processes such as vapor extraction (VAPEX) can be another technology that has potential to enhance heavy oil recovery in a more cost-efficient and environment friendly way. Extensive experimental and simulation studies have been conducted to evaluate VAPEX. However, theoretical modeling has not gained much progress in the past two decades. This thesis aims at adopting a series of mathematical models for a new theoretical analysis of comprehensively evaluating solvent-based recovery processes and also attempts to develop a new process to enhance production. This thesis first develops a comprehensive theoretical analysis method for VAPEX, which considers all the major recovery mechanisms such as dynamic mass transfer, gravity drainage, multiphase flow, and boundary movement in the model. Both constant and variable diffusivity have been studied in this model, and the latter justified in the progressive change of properties such as viscosity in the media within the diffusion layer. A hot solvent injection process takes advantages of both thermal recovery processes (quick heat conduction and large viscosity reduction) and solvent-based processes (lower energy consumption and less green-house gas emission). This thesis then develops a transient mass transfer model to analyze the cold heavy oil–hot solvent mixing process during a hot solvent injection process. This mass transfer model is then incorporated into the VAPEX model to evaluate the performance of a hot solvent injection process. Key indicators such as oil production profile, injection pressure, injection temperature, solvent oil ratio, etc. have been studied to find out a quantitatively correlation. A new hybrid process, SAVE, is proposed to enhance heavy oil recovery. In this process, a short-slug steam and a long-slug solvent are alternately injected to extract heavy oil. Simulation results show that the cumulative steam-oil ratio of SAVE is 37.26% of that of SAGD. In comparison with VAPEX, SAVE produces oil 8.4 times faster than VAPEX and its cumulative solvent-oil ratio of SAVE is only 26% of that of VAPEX. SAVE performs relatively better in thinner formations than in thicker ones.en_US
dc.identifier.citationWang, Q. (2018). Cold, Hot and Steam Assisted Solvent Injection Processes for Heavy Oil Recovery (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/32299en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/32299
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/107077
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.facultySchulich School of Engineering
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectVAPEX
dc.subjectHot solvent injection
dc.subjectSAVE
dc.subjectMathematical Modeling
dc.subjectSimulation
dc.subject.classificationEngineeringen_US
dc.subject.classificationEngineering--Petroleumen_US
dc.titleCold, Hot and Steam Assistant Solvent Injection Processes for Heavy Oil Recovery
dc.typedoctoral thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineChemical and Petroleum Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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