... Abstract Some of the heavy oil reservoirs in AIberta and Western Saskatchewan show anomalously high primary recovery and high flow rate by solution gas drive. Several theories have been proposed for the anomalous behaviour. However, only a few theories look at the basic physics of the problem...

... Abstract Recent technical advances in the understanding ofin situ combustion have made it worthwhile to consider this process as a serious means of recovering heavy oil. However, it mustfirst prove itself to be economically viable, particularly in comparison with steam-based recovery processes...

... Abstract The Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) process, which usually employs horizontal injection and production wells has been applied successfully in producing heavy oil reservoirs. It allows high recoveries to be obtained, at high rates without significant bypass of steam. However...

... Abstract The relevance of various oxidation reactions to the modelling of in-situ combustion in heavy oils was studied in three sets of experiments. The first set of tests involved temperature-programmed thermal gravimetric scans of three heavy oils and their SARA fractions. A comparison...

... Abstract Field experiences have shows that the primary depletion behaviour in several heavy oil reservoirs worldwide is anomalous. It has been theorized that during primary production, the solution gas released from heavy oil does not disengage from the liquid immediately but remains dispersed...

... Abstract As part of a larger project, the relationship of horizontal well productivity and reserves to geology and reservoir properties has been examined at the Winter and Senlac heavy oil fields in Saskatchewan and at the Pembina field in Alberta. In the Winter Cummings Sand pool, vertical...

.... Introduction Heavy oil and Bitumen comprise a large proportion of the total Canadian petroleum resources whose importance continues to increase. Part of this increase is due to declining reserves of light crude but improvements in production and extraction technologies have also played a role. Transportation...

... Abstract The concept of the Vapex (vapour extraction) process has been found promising for the recovery of heavy oil and bitumen in the laboratory study using scaled physical models. In this process a vaporized hydrocarbon solvent, usually ethane, propane or butane is injected...

... Abstract In previous paper 1,2,3 the authors described the results of injecting saturated ethane or propane vapours into a scaled two-dimensional model to recover heavy oils and bitumen at or slightly above the reservoir temperature. The results were encouraging. Although the scaled oil...

... Abstract Heavy and extra-heavy oil reservoirs located in Western Canada (Alberta and Saskatchewan provinces) collectively represent one of the largest accumulations of hydrocarbons in the world. Over the past 20 years. a sustained field and laboratory research program aiming at economic...

... Abstract There are extensive deposits of heavy oil in Saskatchewan and Alberta which can only be recovered with low efficiency by conventional methods. Primary recovery in the best of these heavy oil reservoirs can yield about 6 percent of the OOIP. Waterflooding can improve the recovery...

... Abstract Non-thermal enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques show a great potential for recovering oils from the thin and shaly heavy oil reservoirs of Saskatchewan. Among the non-thermal processes, immiscible carbon dioxide injection holds the most promise of accessing these reservoirs...

... Abstract A series of experiments were performed in physical models saturated with heavy oils of 0.6 to 12.7 Pa.s. The oil was displaced by gravity drainage at constant pressure and it was produced using horizontal wells. The pressure was maintained either using a vacuum pump or by injection...

... crestal interface are also considered. There is a critical production race beyond which fingering will occur. This critical rate for fingering is different from that for cresting or coning and it presents a serious limitation to the effectiveness of horizontal wells for the production of heavy oil from...

... Abstract The immiscible carbon dioxide flooding process has considerable potential for the recovery of moderately viscous oils, which are unsuited for the application of thermal recovery techniques. Approximately 95% of Saskatchewan's heavy oil formations are less than 10m thick, and often...

... Abstract The Winter pool, a heavy oil reservoir located in the L1oydminster area of Saskatchewan, was selected as a suitable candidate for the introduction of a horizontal well production system. An initial two phase program comprised of five horizontal wells and four vertical monitoring wells...

..., concentration. Introduction Pipeline flow of single phase fluids is well understood and the concept of viscosity is often extended to characterize two-phase mixtures. However, there is evidence that the continuum model, which is implied in the use of a viscosity, is inappropriate for emulsions of heavy oil...

... Abstract Phase I of a joint program to investigate coprocessing of various coals and heavy oil/bitumen resids using HRI's ebullated bed technology was completed in 1986. The program was sponsored by Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Ontario Ohio Synthetic Fuels Corporation Ltd. (OOSFC...

... bitumen and heavy oils of Canadian origin. an ongoing program of development (1,2) has broadened the technology to processing offshore heavy oils and the bottom of the barrel from so called conventional crudes. This emerging technology showed a great deal of promise which was based largely...

... Abstract Heavy oil reservoirs of Saskatchewan are characterized by thin pay, shaley sand, heterogeneity, low productivity and bottom water. Thermal recovery processes are not expected to be economically feasible for reservoirs containing approximately eighty percent of the heavy all...