Thermal Recovery Methods

Cyclic Steam Stimulation

Steamflood

In-situ Combustion
Important Factors
in Steamloods
Main mechanisms

Heat losses

Gravity override effects

Optimum steam quality
Steam generation and fuel required

Recovery factor

Process optimization
Saturation conditions


Thermodynamics of Steam
Pressure
Temperature
Steam properties







Steam quality: x = m
v
/ (m
v
+ m
w
)
Specific volume: v
w
= 1 /
w
and v
v =
1 /
v
Enthalpy: H
w
= U
w
+ P v
w
and H
v
= U
v
+ P v
v

Latent heat: L
v
= H
v
- H
w
Thermodynamics of Steam


Steam Table
T
C
P
kPa
V
w

10
-3
m
3
/kg
V
v

10
-3
m
3
/kg
U
w
kJ/kg
U
v
kJ/kg
H
w
kJ/kg
H
v
kJ/kg
20 2.34 1.002 57840 84 2402 84 2538
30 4.23 1.004 32900 126 2417 126 2556
100 101.3 1.044 1673 419 2507 419 2676
150 476.0 1.091 393 632 2561 632 2745
200 1555 1.157 127 850 2795 852 2791
250 3978 1.251 50 1081 2602 1086 2800
300 8593 1.404 21.7 1333 2563 1345 2751
350 16540 1.741 8.8 1643 2418 1672 2568
374.2 22120 3.17 3.17 2014 2014 2099 2099
Wet steam mixture properties









Thermodynamics of Steam











Heat Loss in Steam Injection Processes
From surface pipes








Wellhead steam quality x
wh
= x
g
- (Q
HL
L / I
s
L
v
)
Example: 400 m pipe (350 m insulated), T
s
= 250C I
s
= 1.84 kg/s
Wind speed = 20 km/hr T
s
= 20C x
g
= 85%

Q
HL
= 0.65 kW/m for insulated pipe and 4.2 kW/m for bare pipe
From steam table: L
v
= 2800 1086 = 1714 kJ/kg
x
wh
=0.85 [(4.2x50+0.65x350) / (1.84x1714)] = 0.71
Heat Loss in Steam Injection Processes
Heat loss Q
HL

in kW/m
Steam temperature, C
From injection wellbore













Example: Reservoir depth = 480 m Injection through bare tubing
I
s
= 1.84 kg/s Wellhead steam quality = 71%

From chart: x
bh
= 0.71 480x0.00022 = 0.60
Heat Loss in Steam Injection Processes
Decrease in
Quality per
m Depth
Steam Injection Rate, kg/s
From reservoir to overburden and underburden







Example: I
s
= 1.8 kg/s x
bh
= 48% A = 15.5 acre
T
s
= 270C T
0
= 60C h
gross
= 40 m

From steam table: H
v
= 2790 kJ/kg H
w
= 1185 kJ/kg H
0
= 251 kJ/kg
H
m
= 0.48x2790 + 0.52x1185 = 1955 kJ/kg
Useful heat injection rate = 1.8(1955 - 251)x1000/(15.5x4047x40) = 1.2 W/gross m
3

From chart: Vertical heat loss f
hv
= 26% of input
Heat Loss in Steam Injection Processes
Vertical
Heat Loss
% of Input
f
hv
Gross Reservoir Thickness, m
Mass and Heat Injection Rates
Mass injection rate
Steam injection rate is q BCWE/day:
Mass injection rate I
s
= 0.00184 q in kg/s

Total heat injection rate
Mixture enthalpy H
m
= x
bh
H
v
+ (1 - x
bh
) H
v
in kJ/kg

Total heat injection rate q
h
= I
s
H
m
in kJ/s or kW

Useful heat injection rate
Reference enthalpy H
0
= H
w
at initial reservoir temperature

Useful heat injection rate q
hu
= I
s
(H
m
H
0
) in kJ/s or kW

Net, useful heat injection rate
Vertical heat loss from reservoir = f
hv
in % of input

Net useful heat injection rate q
hu
net
= q
hu
(1 - f
hv
) in kJ/s or kW
Steam Quality

Usually, a wet steam mixture is used for injection to
avoid salt precipitation

Wet steam is beneficial in thick reservoirs to reduce
effect of gravity override

Maximum heat utilization factor occurs at about 40%
steam quality

Heat losses should be considered when determining
optimum steam quality

Steamflood Mechanisms

Reduction in oil viscosity

Lowering of residual oil saturation

Oil swelling due to thermal expansion

In-situ steam distillation

Increased displacement throughput, hence;
increased sweep and displacement efficiencies
Steamflood Mechanisms


Steamflood Mechanisms
Lowering of residual oil saturation

Steamflood Mechanisms
In-situ steam distillation

Steamflood Mechanisms


Steamflood Mechanisms


Gravity Override in Steamfloods


Heat Utilization Factor











Cogeneration of Steam











Oil Recovery by Steamflood











Oil Recovery by Steamflood











Oil Recovery by Steamflood











Oil Recovery by Steamflood











Oil Recovery by Steamflood











Oil Recovery by Steamflood











Oil Recovery by Steamflood
Procedure, Continued











Oil Recovery by Steamflood











Oil Recovery by Steamflood