Steam injection pressures and rates, variable permeabilities systems, and wells alignments parameterization in SAGD: A simulation study
SAGD is one of the steam recovery methods of heavy oil, which is typically performed using one horizontal injection well and one horizontal production well. However, multiple injection and production wells might also be utilized. Recently, studies of this method involving steam injection rate and pr...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2025-10-01
|
| Series: | Unconventional Resources |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666519025000986 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849339181537427456 |
|---|---|
| author | Zhengbin Wu Morice Richard Mworia Kun Shu Yuhang Ren Qiyang Gou Shu Jiang Zhangxin Chen |
| author_facet | Zhengbin Wu Morice Richard Mworia Kun Shu Yuhang Ren Qiyang Gou Shu Jiang Zhangxin Chen |
| author_sort | Zhengbin Wu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | SAGD is one of the steam recovery methods of heavy oil, which is typically performed using one horizontal injection well and one horizontal production well. However, multiple injection and production wells might also be utilized. Recently, studies of this method involving steam injection rate and pressure parameterization were performed over limited ranges of these parameters, with limited knowledge of steam injection rate characterization based on different levels of average homogeneity and heterogeneity of permeability systems. Moreover, there are no simulation studies of vertical injectors and multiple horizontal injection wells, or steam injection rates characterization. This paper examines these limitations considering the reservoir and fluid properties of the Liaohe heavy oil field in China. It is revealed that elevating pressures for a given steam injection rate do not have a significant impact on heavy oil recovery performance factors. A recommendation of injection at slightly higher than the initial reservoir pressure (6.3 MPa), which is 6.5 MPa to compensate for steam compression costs. Increasing the steam injection rate within a limited range provides a larger volume for the steam chambers that raise the average reservoir temperature and result in higher oil recovery factors. The positive-rhythm reservoir (permeability rises from the top to the bottom of the reservoir) extracts more oil than that of the negative-rhythm one (permeability decreases from the top to the bottom of the reservoir). The vertical injector has better oil-sweep efficiency compared with the horizontal injector due to more expandable steam chambers with a very small steam chamber rising stage. Two horizontal injectors at the same total steam injection rate as conventional SAGD enhance the oil recovery factor (an increment of up to 15.24 %) and reduce cumulative steam-oil ratio by 3.64. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-13a0257ff9f24b3ab3dbed9f4541decf |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-5190 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-10-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Unconventional Resources |
| spelling | doaj-art-13a0257ff9f24b3ab3dbed9f4541decf2025-08-20T03:44:11ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Unconventional Resources2666-51902025-10-01810023210.1016/j.uncres.2025.100232Steam injection pressures and rates, variable permeabilities systems, and wells alignments parameterization in SAGD: A simulation studyZhengbin Wu0Morice Richard Mworia1Kun Shu2Yuhang Ren3Qiyang Gou4Shu Jiang5Zhangxin Chen6State Key Laboratory of Shale Oil and Gas Enrichment Mechanisms and Effective Development, Beijing, 100728, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Oil & Gas Reservoirs Production, Sinopec, Beijing, 100728, China; Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology of Petroleum Exploration and Development in Hubei Province, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, ChinaKey Laboratory of Theory and Technology of Petroleum Exploration and Development in Hubei Province, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China; Department of Petroleum Science and Engineering, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O.Box 35091, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Corresponding author. Key Laboratory of Theory and Technology of Petroleum Exploration and Development in Hubei Province, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.Research Institute of Exploration & Development, PetroChina Tuha Oilfield Company, Hami, 839009, ChinaKey Laboratory of Theory and Technology of Petroleum Exploration and Development in Hubei Province, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, ChinaKey Laboratory of Theory and Technology of Petroleum Exploration and Development in Hubei Province, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, ChinaKey Laboratory of Theory and Technology of Petroleum Exploration and Development in Hubei Province, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, ChinaDepartment of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, CanadaSAGD is one of the steam recovery methods of heavy oil, which is typically performed using one horizontal injection well and one horizontal production well. However, multiple injection and production wells might also be utilized. Recently, studies of this method involving steam injection rate and pressure parameterization were performed over limited ranges of these parameters, with limited knowledge of steam injection rate characterization based on different levels of average homogeneity and heterogeneity of permeability systems. Moreover, there are no simulation studies of vertical injectors and multiple horizontal injection wells, or steam injection rates characterization. This paper examines these limitations considering the reservoir and fluid properties of the Liaohe heavy oil field in China. It is revealed that elevating pressures for a given steam injection rate do not have a significant impact on heavy oil recovery performance factors. A recommendation of injection at slightly higher than the initial reservoir pressure (6.3 MPa), which is 6.5 MPa to compensate for steam compression costs. Increasing the steam injection rate within a limited range provides a larger volume for the steam chambers that raise the average reservoir temperature and result in higher oil recovery factors. The positive-rhythm reservoir (permeability rises from the top to the bottom of the reservoir) extracts more oil than that of the negative-rhythm one (permeability decreases from the top to the bottom of the reservoir). The vertical injector has better oil-sweep efficiency compared with the horizontal injector due to more expandable steam chambers with a very small steam chamber rising stage. Two horizontal injectors at the same total steam injection rate as conventional SAGD enhance the oil recovery factor (an increment of up to 15.24 %) and reduce cumulative steam-oil ratio by 3.64.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666519025000986SAGDInjection pressure and rateReservoir permeabilityOil recovery factorSOR |
| spellingShingle | Zhengbin Wu Morice Richard Mworia Kun Shu Yuhang Ren Qiyang Gou Shu Jiang Zhangxin Chen Steam injection pressures and rates, variable permeabilities systems, and wells alignments parameterization in SAGD: A simulation study Unconventional Resources SAGD Injection pressure and rate Reservoir permeability Oil recovery factor SOR |
| title | Steam injection pressures and rates, variable permeabilities systems, and wells alignments parameterization in SAGD: A simulation study |
| title_full | Steam injection pressures and rates, variable permeabilities systems, and wells alignments parameterization in SAGD: A simulation study |
| title_fullStr | Steam injection pressures and rates, variable permeabilities systems, and wells alignments parameterization in SAGD: A simulation study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Steam injection pressures and rates, variable permeabilities systems, and wells alignments parameterization in SAGD: A simulation study |
| title_short | Steam injection pressures and rates, variable permeabilities systems, and wells alignments parameterization in SAGD: A simulation study |
| title_sort | steam injection pressures and rates variable permeabilities systems and wells alignments parameterization in sagd a simulation study |
| topic | SAGD Injection pressure and rate Reservoir permeability Oil recovery factor SOR |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666519025000986 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zhengbinwu steaminjectionpressuresandratesvariablepermeabilitiessystemsandwellsalignmentsparameterizationinsagdasimulationstudy AT moricerichardmworia steaminjectionpressuresandratesvariablepermeabilitiessystemsandwellsalignmentsparameterizationinsagdasimulationstudy AT kunshu steaminjectionpressuresandratesvariablepermeabilitiessystemsandwellsalignmentsparameterizationinsagdasimulationstudy AT yuhangren steaminjectionpressuresandratesvariablepermeabilitiessystemsandwellsalignmentsparameterizationinsagdasimulationstudy AT qiyanggou steaminjectionpressuresandratesvariablepermeabilitiessystemsandwellsalignmentsparameterizationinsagdasimulationstudy AT shujiang steaminjectionpressuresandratesvariablepermeabilitiessystemsandwellsalignmentsparameterizationinsagdasimulationstudy AT zhangxinchen steaminjectionpressuresandratesvariablepermeabilitiessystemsandwellsalignmentsparameterizationinsagdasimulationstudy |