In this investigation, existing analytical models for cyclic steam injection and oil recovery are reviewed and a new model is proposed that is applicable to horizontal wells. A new flow equation is developed for oil production during cyclic steaming of horizontal wells. The model accounts for the gravity-drainage of oil along the steam-oil interface and through the steam zone. Oil viscosity, effective permeability, geometry of the heated zone, porosity, mobile oil saturation, and thermal diffusivity of the reservoir influence the flow rate of oil in the model. The change in reservoir temperature with time is also modeled, and it results in the expected decline in oil production rate during the production cycle as the reservoir cools. Wherever appropriate, correlations and incorporated to minimize data requirements. A limited comparison to numerical simulation results agrees well, indicating that essential physics are successfully captured. Cyclic steaming appears to be a systematic met hod for heating a cold reservoir provided that a relatively uniform distribution of steam is obtained along the horizontal well during injection. A sensitivity analysis shows that the process is robust over the range of expected physical parameters.
展开▼
