Characterizing alluvial architecture of point bars within the McMurray Formation, Alberta, Canada, for improved bitumen resource prediction and recovery

摘要

14.1 INTRODUCTION The heavy oil deposits of Canada (Fig. 14.1A) contain an estimated 1.7 trillion barrels of bitumen in place, with 167 billion barrels recoverable through mining and thermal methods (AER, 2014). The scale of the hydrocarbon resources within the Athabasca Basin is of global importance for meeting future energy demand. A combination of factors has recently made this resource attractive for energy industry investment. In the last decade, relatively high bitumen prices and access challenges to more conventional light crude reservoir sources have been important drivers. In addition to traditional surface mining projects, heavy oil recovery technology has evolved; leveraging advanced horizontal drilling capability with the development of steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) technology has made bitumen resources that are too deep to mine accessible for exploitation (Fig. 14.2B). Between 2006 and 2012, acreage leased in the oil sands region more than tripled from approximately 7 to 22 million acres, with a commensurate increase in exploration and development activity. In the Athabasca Basin alone, the number of licensed wells increased from 34,000 at year end 2005 to 59,000 in early 2013. Production growth from the Athabasca Oil Sands is expected to double by 2023 to over 4 million barrels per day (AER, 2014) from in situ and surface mining techniques (Fig. 14.IB). Recent downward pressure on oil price has resulted in increased scrutiny of oil sands opportunities, requiring a rigorous understanding of the reservoirs that underpin the project. The focus of new and existing projects will be on identifying the technical sweet spot and minimizing the capital expenditure to develop it.