scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question
Topic

Steam injection

About: Steam injection is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 4608 publications have been published within this topic receiving 48666 citations.


Papers
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined thermal and non-thermal enhanced oil recovery methods and their commercial success in the field and pointed out the technical reasons for the lack of success.
Abstract: Nearly 2.0 × 1012 barrels (0.3 × 1012 m3 ) of conventional oil and 5.0 × 1012 barrels (0.8 × 1012 m3 ) of heavy oil will remain in reservoirs worldwide after conventional recovery methods have been exhausted. Much of this oil would be recovered by Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) methods, which are part of the general scheme of Improved Oil Recovery (IOR). The choice of the method and the expected recovery depends on many considerations, economic as well as technological. This paper examines the EOR methods that have been tested in the field. Some of these have been commercially successful, while others are largely of academic interest. The reasons for the same are discussed. The paper examines thermal and non-thermal oil recovery methods. These are presented in a balanced fashion, with regard to commercial success in the field. Only a few recovery methods have been commercially successful, such as steam injection based processes in heavy oils and tar sands (if the reservoir offers favourable conditions for such applications) and miscible carbon dioxide for light oil reservoirs. Other recovery methods have been tested, and even produced incremental oil, but they have inherent limitations. The current EOR technologies are presented in a proper perspective, pointing out the technical reasons for the lack of success. Methods for improving oil recovery, in particular those concerned with lowering the interstitial oil saturation, have received a great deal of attention both in the laboratory and in the field. From the vast amount of literature on the subject, one gets the impression that it is relatively simple to increase oil recovery beyond secondary (assuming that the reservoir lends itself to primary and secondary recovery). It is shown that this is not the case. Many reservoirs suitable for steam injection and carbon dioxide have already been exploited and are approaching maturity. Other EOR methods suffer from limitations that have little to do with economics. Recovering incremental oil is complex and costly, and has been successful only for a few processes under exacting conditions. Nevertheless, EOR will continue to have an important place in oil production, in view of the escalating energy demand and the tight supply. It is suggested that much research is needed to develop technologies for recovering over two-thirds of the oil that will remain unrecovered in reservoirs. Key references are indicated.

709 citations

Book
01 Jan 1991
TL;DR: In this paper, thermal recovery conduction of heat within solids convective heating within reserving steamflooding the displacement of heavy oil cyclic steam stimulation steam-assisted gravity drainage steam recovery in situ combustion.
Abstract: Introduction to thermal recovery conduction of heat within solids convective heating within reserving steamflooding the displacement of heavy oil cyclic steam stimulation steam-assisted gravity drainage steam recovery in situ combustion. Appendices.

644 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the results of oil recovery by low-salinity water flooding from core material sampled from the aqueous zone of a limestone reservoir are reported, showing that 2-5% of original oil in place (OOIP) were observed by first flooding the core material with high-saline formation water (208 940 ppm) and then with 100× diluted formation water or 10× diluted Gulf seawater at 110 °C.
Abstract: Low-salinity enhanced oil recovery (EOR) effects have for a long time been associated with sandstone reservoirs containing clay minerals. Recently, a laboratory study showing low-salinity EOR effects from composite carbonate core material was reported. In the present paper, the results of oil recovery by low-salinity water flooding from core material sampled from the aqueous zone of a limestone reservoir are reported. Tertiary low-salinity effects, 2–5% of original oil in place (OOIP), were observed by first flooding the cores with high-saline formation water (208 940 ppm) and then with 100× diluted formation water or 10× diluted Gulf seawater at 110 °C. It was verified by flooding the core material with distilled water that the core samples contained small amounts of anhydrite, CaSO4(s). The oil recovery was tested under forced displacement using different injection brines and oils with different acid numbers, 0.08, 0.34, and 0.70 mg of KOH/g. The low-salinity effect depended upon mixed wet conditions, a...

381 citations

Patent
Bertram T Willman1
06 Apr 1981
TL;DR: In this paper, a method for treating a field containing viscous oil or bitumen for subsequent production is described, and the steps central to the process are drilling a horizontal well within the oil-bearing stratum, and heating the oil in the vicinity of the horizontal well to produce a hot liquid corridor.
Abstract: A method for treating a field containing viscous oil or bitumen for subsequent production is described. The steps central to the process are drilling a horizontal well within the oil-bearing stratum, and heating the oil in the vicinity of the horizontal well to produce a hot liquid corridor. The open borehole is filled and the oil in the heated corridor is displaced from one end to the other. The corridors may be connected in various configurations to effectively displace a high percentage of oil in a particular field.

362 citations

Patent
27 Sep 1991
TL;DR: In this article, a method and apparatus for the improved recovery of oil from porous sub-surface deposits such as tar sands comprising mining and drilling a well with upper and lower horizontal rectangular grids extending outward into the deposit and applying steam heat or super heated crude oil vapor through the lower grid and hot pressurized flue gas through the upper grid.
Abstract: A method and apparatus for the improved recovery of oil from porous sub-surface deposits such as tar sands comprising mining and drilling a well with upper and lower horizontal rectangular grids extending outward into the deposit and applying steam heat or super heated crude oil vapor through the lower grid and hot pressurized flue gas through the upper grid. The flue gas and steam or super heated crude oil vapor are produced in a generation facility that provides electricity for the installation from turbine generators, the crude oil for super heating being provided by an initial production from the deposit following flue gas injection. Steam condensate is recycled from the recovered oil to the generation facility thereby reducing the water requirements and environmental pollution, and, where super heated crude oil vapor is used, a portion of the produced crude is used for this purpose.

351 citations


Network Information
Related Topics (5)
Energy source
88.8K papers, 1.9M citations
71% related
Fluid dynamics
47.9K papers, 1M citations
70% related
Heat exchanger
184.2K papers, 1M citations
70% related
Carbonate
34.8K papers, 802.6K citations
69% related
Coal
93.3K papers, 1M citations
69% related
Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
202375
2022163
202195
2020175
2019171
2018187