Performance Evaluation of Solvent Co-Injection Scenarios in Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD)-Based Bitumen Recovery

ConocoPhillips Canada (CPC) is evaluating transformational technologies to reduce GHGs by up to 90% allowing for efficient Alberta resource development on a per barrel and supply cost basis in a carbon-constrained, globally competitive market. Warm applied solvent process refers to pre-heated solvents that are injected/co-injected with steam as an elimination/evolution of the current Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) process for bitumen mobilization which provides potential for absolute emission reductions. Solvent applications have potential added benefit of enabling value-add by partially upgrading in-situ. The objective of the outlined project is to develop, and in-depth understanding of the solvent assisted bitumen recovery processes through conducting series of advanced numerical simulation studies on various solvent injection/co-injection scenarios (Dimethyl Ether (DME) and conventional propane or butane), evaluating present technologies, analyzing the results of the field scale pilot application of the emissions reduction process, and studying the customized laboratory scaled Physical Model Experiments (PME).

Faculty Supervisor:

ZhangXing John Chen

Student:

Partner:

ConocoPhillips Canada

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Mining

University:

University of Calgary

Program: