Thermal heavy oil production methods

Thermal methods promise some of the highest recovery factors. They also promise the largest potential capital expenditure and operating costs—and therefore risk.

How can you best navigate your way through the multiple possibilities while minimizing expenditure and risk, maximizing long-term production, and making the right decisions for you and your asset?

The following techniques tested for new thermal production methods currently stand out above the rest and are often used in combination:

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD)
Using pairs of parallel wells—one a steam injector and the other a producer—steam is injected into the top well; the resulting steam chamber encourages heated oil to drain into the lower well. Expanding solvent SAGD involves injecting solvents with the steam to improve recovery. Cross SAGD is where the injection wells are placed perpendicular to the producing wells.

Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS)
A single well is used to inject steam into the reservoir, both to heat the oil and to reduce its viscosity. After the reservoir has been through a soak phase, the operation of the injector well is reversed to produce the oil. This technique is also known as huff 'n’ puff.

Steamflood
Two vertical wells are used. One injects steam into the reservoir, creating a steam front that sweeps the oil before it into the producer well.

In Situ Combustion
Toe to heel air injection is the most common in situ combustion method for producing heavy oil. In this technique, fireflooding starts from a vertical well, while the oil is produced from a horizontal well having its toe in close proximity to the vertical air-injection well.