New technology could substantially boost SAGD potential

The April 2007 Oilsands Review features an article on ES-SAGD which is a technique that supplements conventional SAGD by combining solvent and steam. A key requirement for an ES-SAGD process to work effectively is that the solvent and water/steam move from phase to phase together. There are many factors to consider in designing an ES-SAGD operation including formation depth and pressure, solvent concentration, and solvent recovery ratios. The trick as the article points out is to select the right solvent for the given steam conditions of temperature and pressure. Alberta Research Council (ARC) research results showed heavy oil recovery could be improved by as much as 25% with ES-SAGD over SAGD alone.

While there appears to be a longer planning and design cycle required to implement and optimize a sucessful ES-SAGD operation, the research and field potential looks promising.

The full article can be found on the following link:

http://www.oilsandsreview.com/articles.asp?ID=381

Jorge.