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Theoretical studies on the gravity drainage of heavy oil during in‐situ steam heating
Author(s) -
Butler R. M.,
Mcnab G. S.,
Lo H. Y.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.5450590407
Subject(s) - steam assisted gravity drainage , oil sands , steam injection , petroleum engineering , flow (mathematics) , steam drum , oil production , volume (thermodynamics) , environmental science , mechanics , drainage , waste management , geology , superheated steam , materials science , thermodynamics , engineering , boiler (water heating) , physics , composite material , ecology , asphalt , biology
One concept for the in‐situ production of oil from the tar sands involves the continuous injection of steam into a growing steam‐saturated volume or steam chamber. Steam flow to the boundary of the chamber, condenses and gives up its heat to the surrounding oil sands. The condensate and heated oil flow by gravity to a production well located at the bottom of a chamber and are removed continuously. The well may consist of a horizontal slotted pipe. This paper describes the theory of operation of such a process and an equation is derived which predicts the rate of drainage.