SPE 94808
Twenty Years of Steam Injection in Heavy-Oil Fields
J.C. de Souza, D.F. da S. Cursino, and K.G. de O. Pádua, Petrobras
Copyright 2005, Society of Petroleum Engineers
This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum
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Abstract
This paper reviews the twenty years of steam
injection in heavy oil fields of Alto do Rodrigues area. The
review includes the beginning, consolidation and expansion of
this enhanced recovery method. Main topics involve project
management of cycled injection and steam drive along with
steady improvements on the quality control of the whole steam
generation process. At the end, this work shows the positive
impacts on the recovery factor and environmental issues.
1-Introduction
The steam injection, as a method of enhanced
recovery, was first implemented in 1984 in Alto do Rodrigues
area. The area, located in the Potiguar Basin, State of Rio
Grande do Norte, northeast of Brazil, mainly encompasses
heavy oil fields.
The first steam injection projects in this area were
implemented in Estreito and Alto do Rodrigues Fields. They
comprised pilot projects of cyclic steam injection in small
areas of the fields. The objective was to evaluate the technical
and economic feasibility of steam injection as a method to
enhance the heavy oil recovery. The preliminary results
suggested that the thermal method was technically and
economically feasible.
The positive outcome led to, from 1992 on, a large
number of steam injection projects and a significant increase
of steam generation facilities to meet the rising demand for
steam.
The steep augment of steam generation facilities
required important improvements on the quality of the steam
generation process. They were required to guarantee the
necessary quality of the steam and the final results in terms of
heavy oil recovery. Starting on 1997, several measures have
been implemented, among them the ISO 9000 certification and
the process automation and control.
The first pilot of steam drive project was also
implemented in 1997 in Estreito Field. The preliminary
results indicated technical and economic feasibility. Other
pilot projects not only in Estreito Field but also Alto do
Rodrigues Field were stated and expanded.
Following the consolidation and success of the cyclic
steam injection projects all around the heavy oil fields, two
large scale steam drive projects were planned for the future
years.
Reservoir studies suggest that in the future the steam
drive projects will replace the cyclic steam injection projects,
particularly in the main developed areas. The last ones might
remain active in the border areas of Estreito and Alto do
Rodrigues fields.
This work presents a brief history of application,
discusses the reservoir management, some important
production parameters, such as Oil Steam Ratio OSR, and the
quality improvements on the steam generation process
necessary to achieve the required steam characteristics and to
assure good results on the oil recovery.
2-History:
2.1 Brazil:
The first steam injection project in Brazil took place
in Carmopolis Field, State of Sergipe, northeast of Brazil, in
1978, with a steam generator of 15 MM Btu/hr energy
capacity. In 1982, a second project was implemented in
Fazenda Belém Field, State of Rio Grande do Norte, northeast
of Brazil.
In the Alto do Rodrigues area, the first steam
injection project was applied in 1984 in Estreito and Alto do
Rodrigues Field.
Nowadays, a great number of steam injection projects
are undertaken in the states of Espírito Santo, Bahia, Sergipe
and Rio Grande do Norte. Figure 1 shows the location of the
main heavy oil fields in Brazil where the thermal method of
enhanced oil recovery is currently applied.
2.2 Alto do Rodrigues Area
The application of steam injection as a method of
enhanced heavy oil recovery was initiated in the Alto do
Rodrigues area in July 1984. The first project took place in
Estreito Field and the second one in Alto do Rodrigues Field
in the very same year.
2 SPE 94808
Both projects comprised a cyclic steam injection with
a mobile steam generator of 15 MMbtu/hr of energy capacity.
The first one was applied in the well ET-089 and the second
one in the well ARG-049.
The results of the thermal method were excellent
since the beginning. In both fields, the pilot projects present
economic and technical feasibility and were soon expanded to
a large scale from 1992 on.
Following the consolidation of the cyclic steam
injection method, the first successful pilot project with steam
drive was initiated in 1997 in Estreito Field, in a small area
with 71 meters wells spacing. Other pilot projects followed
the first one in Alto do Rodrigues Field and other small areas.
The good results of the projects led to the expansion to a large
scale project involving the two important heavy oil fields of
the area.
In the beginning of 1999, the steam generation
process was certified according to ISO 9002 standard. The
certification followed several improvements on the steam
generation process with the definition of tasks and creation of
standards. The aim was to achieve ultimate excellence on the
operational performance and oil recovery.
The whole steam generation facility involves several
kilometers of steam injection lines, 3 mobile steam generators
and 18 fixed ones located in 9 sites. Figure 2 depicts the
evolution of total capacity of steam generation in terms of
MMBtu/hr.
3. Project Management
3.1. Reservoir Characteristics
The total original oil in place of the two fields, Alto do
Rodrigues e Estreito, reaches 163 MM sm3/d. The primary
objectives of the steam injection projects in both fields are the
heavy oil zones of Açu Formation. The reservoirs are shallow
fluvial sandstones (160-350m) with good permeability and
porosity characteristics and aquifer support. The fluid
possesses a significant oil viscosity (800-10000cp) and a small
API gravity (14 – 17). As a consequence the well productivity
is small and the water breakthrough pretty fast because of the
disfavorable mobility ratio.
The primary recovery in both fields is small (less
than 9%. The well spacing has been progressively reduced
from 400 to 100 meters. Most wells are vertical or slightly
directional. More than 20 horizontal wells have been drilled,
particularly in areas with environmental difficulties such as
above Açu river.
As a consequence of the low oil recovery, a
supplementary recovery method was required in order to
anticipate the oil production and enhance the economic
parameters of both fields. Based on several pilot projects the
thermal method of cyclic steam injection was initially adopted
in both fields with excellent results.
3.2 Cyclic Injection
The modus operandi of a cyclic steam injection
comprises a period of steam injection, soaking and production.
The economic parameter defines the number of cycles.
The reduction of oil viscosity with the increase of
temperature around the well justifies the increase of well
productivity, the anticipation of oil production and some
improvement on the ultimate oil recovery. The cyclic steam
injection, as an enhanced oil recovery method, has been
applied with success all around the world in heavy oil fields
with an ultimate recovery as much as 25% in the project area.
In Estreito and Alto do Rodrigues Fields, more than
7000 cycles of steam injection in more than 1000 wells
(mainly vertical) were carried out. Two horizontal wells were
joined to form the first U-shape well in the world with cyclic
steam injection. Unfortunately, the special U-shape well and
the other horizontal wells present poor economic results.
The volume of steam injected in the wells, based on
numerical studies, ranged from 90 to 130 ton/m of the
reservoir thickness. Steam quality is around 75 to 80% (wet
saturated steam).
Additional to the thermal effect, a new type of cyclic
steam injection is under current application and evaluation.
The new project involves the use of naphtha added to steam in
order to help the reduction of oil viscosity. Laboratory studies
suggest that the new technique may increase the oil recovery.
Some pilot projects are being applied in the field. The results
are still under evaluation.
3.3 Steam drive
The modus operandi of this thermal method is the
continuous injection of steam in a pre-defined pattern of
injection and production wells. In most cases the
implementation of this method follows the application of the
cyclic steam injection method after the oil around the well has
been depleted.
The cyclic injection method normally has shorter
payout time and higher rate of return than those of the steam
drive because of the rapid response of production and the low
investment associated. Additionally, the oil steam ratio of the
cyclic injection is higher than that of the steam drive.
However, steam drive allows the recovery of a great amount of
oil through re-pressurization and drainage of part of the oil
that could not be reached with the cyclic injection.
During the eighties, two pilot projects were performed
in Fazenda Belém and Alto do Rodrigues. The outcome of
both cases was not positive. The Initial disappointment led to
a re-evaluation of the whole process including reservoir
studies and numerical simulation. The studies suggested the
increase of the volume of steam injected from previous 60
ton/day to 120 ton/day in future projects.
New pilot projects were implemented from 1997 on in
Estreito and Alto do Rodrigues Field. Steam drive was
applied in five spot patterns with different well spacing
ranging from 71 to 141 meters. The idea was to investigate
the effect of well spacing on the final results due to the
inherent reservoir heterogeneities. The preliminary results
indicated technical and economic feasibility and led to the
expansion of steam drive to larger areas of both fields.
After a long time of application, the cyclic steam
injection method in Alto do Rodrigues demonstrates a clear
exhaustion of positive results. More and more these projects
are getting closer to be marginal reaching the economic limit
SPE 94808
of OSR around 0.1 m3/m3. Following the good results of the
steam drive pilot and the exhaustion of the cyclic steam
injection, new but small steam flooding projects come on
stream, taking advantage of the available steam left by the
previous project.
A numerical simulation was performed in both fields
involving inherent reservoir characteristics, new operational
improvements and the history match of all previous pilot
projects. The studies suggested a large scale application of
steam flood in both fields. The concomitant operation in the
entire area, through the injection in several patterns at the
same time, will lead to a better drainage and capture of
bypassed oil.
The global project in both fields is associated to the
construction of a new thermoelectric plant that will provide a
superheated steam leading to better heat efficiency. Figure 3
presents the conceptual system of distribution of the steam
generated by the thermoelectric plant. The total steam rate is
around 611 ton/h. The expansion of the steam drive of steam
should involve 530 well-column injectors and 630 well-
column producers in both fields. An additional production of
45 MMbbl is foreseen.
The future large scale steam flood project in the area
is now being planned and is estimated to come on stream in
2007-2008. In the meantime, continuous studies are being
undertaken to optimize the injection scheme and timing, the
volume of steam per well and the overall well pattern.
Additionally, continuous tests of new equipments that can
stand high temperatures and the overall steam generation
process are also being performed in order to guarantee full
safety and great performance.
4. Improvements on Steam Generation and Injection
4.1 ISO 9000 Certification
The certification process comprised the
implementation of a system of quality, based on the norms
ISO 9000 series that embraced the planning stages, conception
of the system, elaboration of patterns, manuals and
specifications, training, implementation of routines and
recurrent evaluations. The main factors that contributed to the
success of the project were the commitment of the high
administration, availability of resources and well defined goals
for the whole team.
4.1.1 Contract of Steam Supply
A contract of steam supply is set up between the
reservoir management as customer and the operation
management as vendors. The contract is discussed and
negotiated annually. Monthly commitments of steam quality,
rate and pressure, among others, are specified in the contract
based on the reservoir management requirement and operation
management capacity. The whole schedule of steam
distribution is based on a detailed program comprising steam
quotas, wells and priorities set up by the reservoir
management. The operation management receives the
program, plans the schedule, measures and controls the overall
distribution of steam.
3
4.1.2 Benefits obtained with the Certification
The process of certification conducted to a significant
increase of the operational performance due to the following
aspects
i. standardization of all the tasks;
ii. guarantee of facts and variables registrations;
iii. incorporation of improvements;
iv. previsibility of the actions;
v. on-job training;
vi. focus on the customer.
4.2 Automation and Control:
4.2.1 Prior Situation
Initially, the steam generators used complete pneumatic
controls for the water rate / capacity of the burner ratio, outlet
steam pressure / water rate ratio and pressure of the fuel gas.
The loops of instrumentation were pneumatic. There was no
remote monitoring and no automatic control of important
parameters such as the steam quality and oxygen level
resultant of the combustion.
The programmable logical controller was based on
aeromechanic relay, destined to solve interlocks functions,
timing and detention of process alarms. This conception
resulted in many failures, in low combustion quality and in a
shorter guarantee of the steam quality.
4.2.2 Implementation of a System of Control, Supervision
and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
The implementation of a control system, supervision
and data acquisition (SCADA), contemplated the installation
of remote terminal units (UTR) in each steam generator, with
the substitution of the pneumatic control loop for electronics,
facilitating the remote monitoring of the whole process.
The control and safety systems of the steam
generators aimed to control the variables involved in the
process of transformation of water in steam keeping them in
the range specified by the operator and safety's limits and
contract. It would also mitigate personal and material
damages with the remote monitoring, registration of
abnormalities and the historical registration of the variables.
The steam generators possess the control of feeding
water rate, steam quality, O2 level in the exhaustion gases,
fuel gas rate and pressure.
The loops are controlled by devices of the
proportional-integral-derivative type (PID), digital implanted
in a Programmable Logical Controller (CLP). The control is
made by two devices, a CLP and a controller of the burner,
starting from the signs of sensors of flame, pressure,
temperature, rate oxygen level, position and status.
The programmable logical controllers of each steam
generator send its data periodically based on radio or cable
transmission to the control system, supervision and acquisition
of data (SCADA). Figure 4 illustrates the architecture of the
system.
The information of the steam generators is
concentrated in a Central Terminal Unit. This unit, composed
4 SPE 94808

by a CLP, communication module and radio-modem, is 6. Perspectives

responsible for the communication, in a way to make the
acquisition of data periodically, to monitor communication
failures and to send eventual commands. All the steam
generators can be analyzed in full detail through its individual
screen, as indicated below in the illustration, figure 5, where
its process variables are visualized and the command can be
given of " STOPPING " the generator.
Figure 6 presents the summary screen that allows the
visualization of the main variables of process of all the steam
generators simultaneously, and alarm conditions and
shutdown.
4.2.3 Automation Results
The implementation of the System of Control,
Supervision and Acquisition of Data in the process of
generation of steam led to an increment in the performance of
the machines and a larger operational reliability.
Figure 7 depicts the improved performance due to the
instrumentation of the generators of steam, after implementing
the project in the year of 2002.
Since the steam quality is a basic premise for a good
efficiency in the mechanism of oil recovery, the
implementation of the control system provides better
assurance that the specified parameters required by the
reservoir management will be achieved.
Other benefits with automation can be observed as
follows.
a. Remote monitoring of the occurrences;
b. Automatic registering of occurrences;
c. Easier information;
d. Greater reliability and safety in the control of the
process;
e. Easier maintenance and operation;
f. Optimization of the labor;
g. Reduction in the number of failures;
h. Improvement in the quality of the combustion.
The following perspectives can be foreseen to the
area of Alto do Rodrigues:
a. Implementation of a large scale project of steam
flooding using superheated steam associated with
a thermoelectric plant;
b. New reservoir studies seeking improvements in
the efficiency of the method such as steam
quotas, schedule, well pattern and profile
c. Steam injection with an addictive (naphtha) that
would help the oil viscosity reduction;
d. New equipments that operate safely at high
temperatures;
e. Control of the produced water of the reservoir,
with development of blocking products of the
production of water that resist high temperatures;
f. Studies and Implementation of projects of
injection of water for discharging and re-
injection, because of the high volumes of water
that are produced;
g. Expansion of steam injection projects to new
heavy oil fields and horizons.
7. References
1.Silva, W. A. C. M. and Souza Jr, J. C., Steam Generation
Process Control and Automation, Paper IBP172_04
presented in Rio Oil & Gas Expo and Conference 2004, Rio
de Janeiro, oct. 04-07
2.Medeiros, M. A. C. and Carvalho Neto, J, The
Implementation of Quality System, Paper IBP21798
presented in Rio Oil & Gas Expo and Conference 1998, Rio
de Janeiro, oct. 05-08

5. Conclusion

Alto do Rodrigues Field and Estreito Field possess

about 163 MMm3 of oil "in-place ". A great part of it, around
109 million of m3 is submitted to the enhanced recovery
method of steam injection. The two fields have a cumulative
production of 17 MMm3 of heavy oil. Half of it, about 9.3
million m3, may be attributed to the thermal method of steam
injection (cyclic and continuous).
The participation of the produced oil from steam
injection projects in the area and whole state of Rio Grande do
Norte and Ceará is still increasing. However, the current
recovery factor from cyclic steam injection projects suggests
that this method is heading to the exhaustion. Current
recovery of the cyclic steam injection is near 20%, with an oil
steam ratio OSR of 0.5 m3/ton, while the foreseen ultimate
recovery in the areas they are applied is around 24%.
Figure 8 presents the percentile participation of
production of the main heavy oil fields in the area.
SPE 94808 5

Faz. Belém
(1982)
Sirizinho
Castanhal (1995)
(1981)
Carmópolis
(1978)
Estreito
(1984)

Faz. Alvorada
(1999)

Rio Preto Oeste

(2000)

Faz. Alegre
(2001)

Faz. São Jorge

(2001)

Figure 1
Location of the Main Heavy oil Fields in Brazil
6 SPE 94808

MMBtu/hr

800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 19941995 1996 1997 19981999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Year

Figure 2
The Evolution of Total Capacity of Steam Generation

A1-ARG
A10-ET
12” 10”

16” 14”
18”
20” A2-ARG
A5-ARG
12” 14”
16”
10”
A11-ET
8” 24”
Rio
Açu
6” Termoaçu

Figure 3
Conceptual System of Distribution of the Steam Generated by Thermoelectric Plant
SPE 94808 7

ESCGV ESCGV2

INTRANET
ESCCISC ESCGV1

Rede DH+ Rede DH+

UTC11 UTC13

GV-13 GV-14 GV-29a GV-29b EV-1

EVASSU TABA GV-02 GV-30

Figure 4
The Architecture of the SCADA

Figure 5
Individual Screen of Steam Generator
8 SPE 94808

Figure 6
The Summary Screen

Stop hours/Month
500

400

300

200

100

0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Year

Figure 7
The Improved Performance due to the Instrumentation
SPE 94808 9

HEAVY OIL PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL

HEAVY OIL PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL PRODUCTION
CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION
35 25
HEAVY OIL PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL
% HEAVY OIL RATE (HISTORY) CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION (HISTORY)
30 HEAVY OIL PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL
CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION (FORECAST)
20

TOTAL CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION (%)

% HEAVY OIL RATE (FORECAST)
OF TOTAL PRODUCTION (%)

25

HEAVY OIL PERCENTAGE OF

HEAVY OIL PERCENTAGE

15
20

15
10

10

5
5

0 0
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Figure 8
The Participation of Production