Data Analytics Techniques for Performance Prediction of Steamflooding in Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoirs

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Date

2018-01-28

Authors

Shafiei, Ali
Ahmadi, Mohammad Ali
Dusseault, Maurice B.
Elkamel, Ali
Zendehboudi, Sohrab
Chatzis, Ioannis

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Energies, doi:10.3390/en11020292

Abstract

Thermal oil recovery techniques, including steam processes, account for more than 80% of the current global heavy oil, extra heavy oil, and bitumen production. Evaluation of Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoirs (NFCRs) for thermal heavy oil recovery using field pilot tests and exhaustive numerical and analytical modeling is expensive, complex, and personnel-intensive. Robust statistical models have not yet been proposed to predict cumulative steam to oil ratio (CSOR) and recovery factor (RF) during steamflooding in NFCRs as strong process performance indicators. In this paper, new statistical based techniques were developed using multivariable regression analysis for quick estimation of CSOR and RF in NFCRs subjected to steamflooding. The proposed data based models include vital parameters such as in situ fluid and reservoir properties. The data used are taken from experimental studies and rare field trials of vertical well steamflooding pilots in heavy oil NFCRs reported in the literature. The models show an average error of <6% for the worst cases and contain fewer empirical constants compared with existing correlations developed originally for oil sands. The interactions between the parameters were considered indicating that the initial oil saturation and oil viscosity are the most important predictive factors. The proposed models were successfully predicted CSOR and RF for two heavy oil NFCRs. Results of this study can be used for feasibility assessment of steam flooding in NFCRs...

Description

Keywords

heavy oil, fractured carbonate reservoirs, steamflooding, cumulative steam to oil ratio, recovery factor, statistical predictive tools, digitalization, data analytics

Citation

Collections