In-situ combustion: influence of injection parameters using CMG stars

In-situ combustion (ISC) is one of the oldest methods of thermal oil recovery, the method of ISC incurs much more complex, challenging, and volatile physical and chemical processes compare to other method. With current advancement in technology, interest in ISC process is increasing, it offers unparalleled economic benefits when compared to other enhance oil recovery (EOR) methods, particularly,in terms of high oil recovery and applicability to a broad range of reservoirs. In this research work, a new 1-D tube model was developed serves as the base case for other analysis to generate good predictability for the optimum sustainable development of the reservoir performance. The dimensions and initial conditions provided by Belgrave et al. (1990) and Yang et al., (2009) was used to develop the base case. A similar model is also developed by Liu (2011) using Belgrave’s data and both models are used for comparison of results in this research. Numerical simulator CMG STARS established by the computer modelling group in Calgary was used to study the influence of some parameters. The parameters studied included: Injection rate of air/gas, oxygen mole fraction injected, temperature propagation and pore volume Injected. Athabasca Bitumen is used as the heavy oil. The practical concern, benefits, and limitation of each developed scenarios are examined in detail. This research works present recommendations related to the novel and mature in-situ combustion plan in which development of the simulation model is on-going.