Investigating heavy oil solution gas drive fluid properties and the effect of scale on depletion experiments

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dc.contributor.advisorKantzas, Apostolos
dc.contributor.authorGoodarzi, Nina Naireka
dc.date.accessioned2017-12-18T21:09:32Z
dc.date.available2017-12-18T21:09:32Z
dc.date.issued2006
dc.descriptionBibliography: p. 169-180en
dc.descriptionSome pages are in colour.en
dc.description.abstractHeavy oil reservoirs throughout the world are produced under solution gas drive mechanism, whereby oil production comes from energy inherent in the reservoir, as pressure drops and gas leaves solution with the oil. This has been observed in Canada's vast heavy oil resources in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Heavy oil solution gas drive mechanisms result in higher than Darcy predicted production and recovery, and better pressure maintenance within the reservoir. This research studies solution gas drive in heavy oil reservoirs. Heavy oil crude properties were measured using visualization CT scanning techniques and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. Sand pack depletion experiments were also performed on different lengths in order to observe the foamy oil response with declining pressure. Understanding the effect of length on heavy oil solution gas drive may aid in scaling experimental observations to the field. Also, two 18 m long experiments were performed with different permeabilities to better understand the effect of sand permeability on the production and pressure response. Sand pack depletion results indicate that nucleation does not occur simultaneously throughout the sand pack; instead, it is a localized phenomenon. Low sand permeability causes slower pressure propagation throughout the sand, which results in slower nucleation of gas and lower recovery than higher permeability sands. In addition, gas saturation does not increase uniformly within the sand. Although the physics of foamy oil flow are captured in short cores, longer experimental systems show a more complete pressure decline response. As such, the gas in oil dispersion does not occur across the entire sand pack, and rates and recoveries will be more representative of field values.
dc.format.extentxv, 192 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.en
dc.identifier.citationGoodarzi, N. N. (2006). Investigating heavy oil solution gas drive fluid properties and the effect of scale on depletion experiments (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/483en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/483
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/101484
dc.language.isoeng
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.titleInvestigating heavy oil solution gas drive fluid properties and the effect of scale on depletion experiments
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineChemical and Petroleum Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
ucalgary.thesis.accessionTheses Collection 58.002:Box 1646 520492163
ucalgary.thesis.notesUARCen
ucalgary.thesis.uarcreleaseyen
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