Sand control for heavy oil, bitumen production

摘要

Reservoir quality and thermal formation damage can affect a sand design program. Heavy oil and bitumen account for more than double the resources of conventional oil in the world. There are large resources of heavy oil and bitumen in Venezuela, Canada, Russia, the U.S. and many other countries. Such heavy hydrocarbons are immobile at reservoir conditions because of low API gravity (as low as 5°API to 10°API) and high viscosity. Viscosity needs to be reduced to make heavy oil and bitumen flow in porous media. Thermal in situ production technology based on steam injection is highly effective in the recovery of such heavy crude (Figure 1). Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), cyclic steam stimulation and steam drive are among the proven commercial production methods that allow the recovery of more than 60% of oil in place. Temperature in such production operations can reach 350 C (662 F).