Improving on initial experience in the Saleski pilot with wells drilled between 2008 and 2010, a second generation well (drilled 2012) delivers economically attractive bitumen rates at efficient steam-oil ratios. This performance de-risks the reservoir and forms a solid basis for development planning. A larger scale follow-up project will help to optimize well spacing, multiple-well operations, management of well interference, artificial lift systems, etc.

Despite comparable conditions of cyclic operation, two wells located in the same reservoir perform differently. This is related to differences in drilling conditions, well completions and stimulation methods. After pioneering horizontal drilling into the Grosmont Carbonate formation, the performance of the second generation well in Saleski is significantly improved. This paper presents the performance indicators for the pilot well and discusses the key learning steps that led to the improvement.

Keywords:
oil sand, complex reservoir, thermal method, SAGD, bitumen, carbonate reservoir, SOR, generation well, bitumen rate, operation
Subjects:
Improved and Enhanced Recovery, Unconventional and Complex Reservoirs, Thermal methods, Oil sand, oil shale, bitumen, Carbonate reservoirs
Copyright 2014, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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