Experimental Study on Horizontal CSS Performance Improvement Mechanism by Wellbore Electric Heating

doi:10.19657/j.geoscience.1000-8527.2021.004

Abstract

Abstract:

To resolve the issues of high porous medium flow resistance, low oil production rate, high oil decline rate, and low oil recovery factor for horizontal cyclic steam stimulation (CSS) wells in heavy oil reservoirs, the horizontal CSS method assisted by electric heating was proposed in this study. Combining the heat from electric heating and steam during H-CSS, the analytical model of formation temperature rise was established for the three phases of electric-assisted CSS (i.e. injection, soaking, production), and physical experiments were carried out to compare the performance of conventional CSS and E-CSS. The experimental results were used to validate the analytical model and reveal the key electric heating mechanism on the horizontal CSS performance. Meanwhile, the typical well model was used to forecast the E-CSS potential. The results indicate that the electric heating can achieve uniform heating in the steam injection phase, maintain heating around the wellbore in the soak phase, and reduce flow resistance and enhance oil output in the production phase. Forecast by the typical well model indicates that electric heating can enhance oil recovery factor by 9.4% and OSR from 0.14 to 0.23, implying significant application potential in heavy oil reservoirs developed by horizontal CSS.

Key words: horizontal well, cyclic steam stimulation (CSS), electric heating, flow resistance, oil recoveryfactor

CLC Number:

TE357.4

WU Yongbin, LÜ Bolin, DU Xuan, LU Yingbo, JIANG Youwei, XING Xiangrong. Experimental Study on Horizontal CSS Performance Improvement Mechanism by Wellbore Electric Heating[J]. Geoscience, 2021, 35(04): 1136-1146.

Figures/Tables 10

Fig.1 2D cross-section schematic map of horizontal wellbore during steam injection

Fig.2 Flow chart of the horizontal CSS experiment assisted by electric heating

Fig.3 Temperature profile at the end of the steam injection(2nd cycle)

Fig.4 Comparison of the experimental and calculated temperatures from the E-CSS experiment

Fig.5 Temperature profile at the end of the soak phase (2nd cycle)

Fig.6 Temperature profile at the middle of the production phase (2nd cycle)

Fig.7 Temperature profile at the end of the production phase (2nd cycle)

Fig.8 Oil production rate comparison between CSS and E-CSS

Fig.9 Wellbore porous flow resistance reduction ratio under different electrically enhanced temperatures

Fig.10 Comparison of oil rate and oil recovery factor for CSS and E-CSS

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