Mechanistic Simulation of Solvent-aided Gravity Drainage of Bitumen

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atmire.migration.oldid5544
dc.contributor.advisorHassanzadeh, Hassan
dc.contributor.authorSalas Santa, Marta Liliana
dc.contributor.committeememberMoore, Robert
dc.contributor.committeememberNassar, Nashaat
dc.date.accessioned2017-05-01T21:52:51Z
dc.date.available2017-05-01T21:52:51Z
dc.date.issued2017
dc.date.submitted2017en
dc.description.abstractThe injection of solvent is an alternative method for recovering heavy oil and bitumen to reduce the viscosity and density of the bitumen. In this study, solvent assisted thermal gravity drainage is modelled in CMG STARS using propane as the solvent. First, the modeling of thermosphysical properties of bitumen and propane mixture was performed. Then, a highly refined and simple mechanistic model was constructed and validated. The parameters of the model were defined to enable the numerical model for pure mass and heat transfer as well as coupled heat and mass transfer processes. Three mechanistic cases were studied including isothermal gravity drainage, non-isothermal gravity drainage, and solvent-aided non-isothermal gravity drainage. Also, three groups were defined to obtain a better understanding of the effect of the bitumen properties and the relative permeability curves on the drainage process. Group 1 with low initial bitumen viscosity, Group 2 with high initial bitumen viscosity, and for Group 3 with different relative permeability models were studied. Fine grid numerical simulations demonstrated extensive fingering during the drainage process and the need for fine grid numerical simulations to ensure accurate capturing the physics of gravity drainage. Scaling relations were developed to describe the rate of oil drainage as a function governing dimensionless groups. For the isothermal gravity drainage, the presence of the solvent (propane) and its molecular diffusion into bitumen was found to play a critical role in reducing the viscosity and density of the bitumen leading to gravity drainage of bitumen.en_US
dc.identifier.citationSalas Santa, M. L. (2017). Mechanistic Simulation of Solvent-aided Gravity Drainage of Bitumen (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/26870en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/26870
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11023/3799
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectEngineering--Chemical
dc.subjectEngineering--Petroleum
dc.subject.otherGravity drainage
dc.subject.otherSolvent-aided processes
dc.subject.otherNon-isothermal gravity drainage
dc.subject.otherIsothermal gravity drainage
dc.subject.otherScaling oil recovery
dc.titleMechanistic Simulation of Solvent-aided Gravity Drainage of Bitumen
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineChemical and Petroleum Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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