Advanced Heated Annulus Drive Technology: An Emerging Technology Compatible With Directional Drilling To Improve Recovery From Tar-Sand Reservoirs

摘要

Petroleum industry is technology driven. Any new strategy which is economically feasible and promotes sustainable development of oil and gas resources while respecting human safety and the environment, is a welcome change. "Advanced Heated Annulus Drive Technology" is one such field of development to produce oil from subsurface tar sand/heavy oil reservoirs. In this paper the said technology has been discussed keeping in view the above mentioned factors (i.e. economics, safety and environment). This technology is disclosed for producing viscous petroleum. The method employs a vertical and a horizontal well through the petroleum deposit. A combination of injection procedures, through the horizontal and vertical well, heats the viscous petroleum in the annulus around the horizontal well. Successive completion intervals are installed in the horizontal well to produce the heated petroleum. The petroleum is driven by a drive fluid passing through previously produced intervals. This technique is the best of previously described techniques for the recovery of oil from tar sand reservoirs. Previous proposals for the recovery of significant percentages of the petroleum in place have required a large number of vertical wells at very close spacing. While in the present proposal, most of the vertical wells are eliminated thereby greatly improving the development economics. Heavy oils are a major potential source of future reserve renewal for the petroleum industry. Access to these reserves demands innovative production techniques that are more competitive than those already known. "Advanced Heated Annulus Drive Technology" may be regarded as a competitive technology of current era, for tar sand reservoirs.