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Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD)

Hamid Rahnema

Dr. Maria Barrufet

Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

January 28, 2012 Hamid Rahnema

Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD)
Conclusions 2

• A new thermal recovery method has been proposed and

investigated using 3D laboratory cell.

• Experimental evidence indicated that Combustion Assisted

Gravity Drainage (CAGD) can effectively produce heavy oil by
creating hot region inside porous media. Stable sweep and high
oil recovery identified CAGD as high potential recovery method

• Short-distance air injection and direct oil production led to

efficient Oxygen consumption in combustion front and also
preserve thermal upgrading.

Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Hamid Rahnema

CAGD Well Configuration 3

Horizontal Injection Well Horizontal Production Well

Overburden Formation

Underburden Formation

Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Hamid Rahnema

CAGD Well Configuration 4

Combustion Front Coking Zone

Injection Well

Narrow Mobile
Oil Zone

Cold Oil

Production Well

Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Hamid Rahnema

Project Workflow 5

 Kinetic Modeling
Two step reaction modeling using TGA/DSC technique

 Experimental
Feasibility study of CAGD process using scaled laboratory model

 Simulation
History matching Experimental data and field scale simulation

Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Hamid Rahnema

Scaling Approach (Farouq Ali et al. 1992) 6

Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Hamid Rahnema

Scaled Laboratory Model 7

Reservoir Parameters   Model Prototype

Well Spacing (m) 0.4 72

Height of the Reservoir (m) 0.15 18

Well Length (m) 0.6 108

Permeability, Kh (d) 120 1

Injected Oxygen Composition 50% 21%

Oil saturation 61 61

Water Saturation 18 18
48 Thermocouples
Gas Saturation 21 21
Inner Insulation by Ceramic Fiber
Air Injection 3.0 Lit/hr 4374 m3/day
200 psia Operating Pressure
Reservoir Pressure 200 psi 470 psi
Using Sand Pack as Porous Media
Reservoir Temperature °C 25 25 Peace River heavy Oil
Oil Viscosity@ 25 °C 25000 cp 25000 cp

Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Hamid Rahnema

Experimental Apparatus 8

Data acquisition and CAGD cell

8
Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Hamid Rahnema
Experimental Results. ( Run#21 ) 9

Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Hamid Rahnema

Experimental Results. ( Run#21 ) 10

Temperature, °C

Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Hamid Rahnema

Experimental Results. ( Run#21 ) 11

68% of injected O2 is consumed

Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Hamid Rahnema

Experimental Results. ( Run#21 ) 12
Injection well

Swept Zone

Production well Coke Layer

0 Inches
10 Inches

15 Inches 21 Inches
Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Hamid Rahnema
Experimental Results. ( Run#21 ) 13

Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Hamid Rahnema

Experimental Results. ( Run#21 ) – Thermal Upgrading 14

Initial Oil – 24800 cp Upgraded Oil – 873 cp

Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Hamid Rahnema

 Field Pilot - San Miguel Formation – Pickens Energy Corporation 15

Texas

west Zavala County

RPS “EOR TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT LITTLE TOM FIELD

ZAVALA COUNTY, TEXAS” 2010.

Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Hamid Rahnema

Field Pilot - San Miguel Formation – Pickens Energy Corporation 16

1.E+08
Reservoir Property Average Value
60,000,000 cp @ 30 °C
Permeability 1,542 mD
1.E+06

Viscosity, Cp
Porosity 23.3

Oil Saturation 54
1.E+04
API -4
Depth , feet 1785 - 2016
1.E+02
Net pay. feet 38 feet

1.E+00
0 100 200
Temperature, °C

Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Hamid Rahnema

Publications 17

 H. Rahnema, M. Barrufet and D. Mamora, “Experimental Studies of Combustion Assisted Gravity

Drainage”, PETROL3741, Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2012

 H. Rahnema, M. Barrufet and D. Mamora, “Dual horizontal well air injection process” , SPE-153907,
will be presented SPE Western North American Regional Meeting, March 2012

 H. Rahnema, M. Barrufet and D. Mamora, “Self-sustained CAGD Combustion Front Development;

Experimental and Numerical Observations”, SPE-154333, will be presented 18th SPE Improved Oil
Recovery Symposium, April 2012.

 H. Rahnema, M. Barrufet and D. Mamora, “3D Laboratory Model Studies of Combustion Assisted
Gravity Drainage” , SPE 149195, Canadian Unconventional Resources & International Petroleum
Conference, Calgary, Canada, 2011

 H. Rahnema, D. Mamora, “Combustion-Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Appears Promising” , SPE

135821 , Canadian Unconventional Resources & International Petroleum Conference, Calgary, Canada,
2010.

Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Hamid Rahnema

Questions ? 18

Thank You for your Attention

Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD) Hamid Rahnema

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Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD)

Hamid Rahnema

Dr. Maria Barrufet

Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

January 28, 2012 Hamid Rahnema

Combustion Assisted Gravity Drainage (CAGD)