The "Visco-skin" effect in heavy oil reservoirs

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dc.contributor.advisorSigmund, Philip M.
dc.contributor.authorMcGee, Bruce C. W.
dc.coverage.spatial2000002383en
dc.date.accessioned2005-07-21T19:39:04Z
dc.date.available2005-07-21T19:39:04Z
dc.date.issued1989
dc.descriptionBibliography: p. 87-90.en
dc.description.abstractThe concept and description of the visco-skin, and it's effect on heavy oil productivity is introduced here. A numerical simulation study was conducted to quantify the visco-skin that develops in the near wellbore region for a typical heavy oil reservoir in Alberta, Canada. The simulator was also used to predict the effect of visco-skin on heavy oil production rate, inflow performance relationship (IPR) curves, the presence of gas on oil relative permeability and well productivity as a function of the visco-skin parameters. Two analytical models are developed. The first model can be used to calculate the flow rate from a reservoir if the visco-skin parameters are known and the second model can be used to calculate the visco-skin factor. The analytical models were compared to numerical simulation and found suitably accurate for first approximation calculations. The numerical simulator was finally used to study the effect of well productivity when the visco-skin was melted away using an electromagnetic heating technique. It was found that the visco-skin depends primarily on two parameters, the live oil viscosity at the bubble point, and the dead oil viscosity, for a given reservoir. Both of these parameters are measurable in the lab. It was also found that the visco-skin develops within one meter of the near wellbore region in a short period of time and does not progress further into the reservoir, even after one year of primary production. Results from the simulation studies indicate that the viscoskin can decrease well productivity by a factor of two for the heavy oil reservoir used in this study. Also that the use of heat produced by electromagnetic stimulation, to melt the visco-skin, results in immediate enhancement of oil productivity by a factor equivalent to the visco-skin. The simulation results for electromagnetic stimulations are verified by actual field data.
dc.format.extentxii, 95 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.en
dc.identifier.citationMcGee, B. C. (1989). The "Visco-skin" effect in heavy oil reservoirs (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/19788en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/19788
dc.identifier.isbn0315503513en
dc.identifier.lccTN 871 M183 1989en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/21676
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyEngineering
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.subject.lccTN 871 M183 1989en
dc.subject.lcshOil reservoir engineering
dc.titleThe "Visco-skin" effect in heavy oil reservoirs
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineChemical and Petroleum Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Engineering (MEng)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
ucalgary.thesis.accessionTheses Collection 58.002:Box 708 520541616
ucalgary.thesis.notesoffsiteen
ucalgary.thesis.uarcreleaseyen
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