Application of Geochemical and Isotopic Tracers for Characterization of SAGD Waters and Production Well Scale

Date
2018-01-21
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Abstract
Precipitation of scale minerals is common in SAGD operations and can severely hinder production. As scaling conditions and processes are not fully understood, select geochemical and isotopic (2H, 18O, 11B, 13C, 34S and 87Sr/86Sr) tracers were measured for SAGD waters and production well scale in order to characterize different fluids and identify source contributors towards scale formation. Pre-steamed pore water, bottom water (BW), steam condensate and produced water had distinct Na and Cl concentrations and water isotope compositions (2H, 18O). Distinct 11B, 13CDIC, 34SSO4 values and 87Sr/86Sr ratios of different SAGD waters enabled differentiation of BW from thermally altered waters (steam condensate and produced waters). SEM and bulk mineral chemical analyses identified quartz as the primary (~90 wt.%) scale mineral, while δ11B, δ34SSULFIDE, δ13CCARBS values of scale minerals indicated that they were precipitated from thermally altered waters and not as a result of formation water outside the steam chamber.
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Keywords
SAGD, Isotope Tracers, Athabasca Oil Sands, Mineral scale, Production Wells, Chemical Tracers
Citation
Ciszkowski, C. (2018). Application of Geochemical and Isotopic Tracers for Characterization of SAGD Waters and Production Well Scale (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.