Conference Proceedings, EAGE 2020 Annual Conference & Exhibition, Amsterdam, Hollanda, 8 - 11 Aralık 2020, ss.1-5
This research aims to investigate and compare the ultimate recovery from the largest oil reserve in Turkey (1.85 billion barrels) using a new method called mining-assisted heavy oil production (MAHOP) with conventional SAGD. Tunnels will be excavated from the surface to the reservoir. Fan-shaped up holes will then be drilled in the reservoir from the tunnels.
Heavy oil production through these tunnels will be explored using SAGD method. Several numerical models have been designed using CMG’s STARS simulator. Since the fan wells are opened vertically and at certain intervals along the tunnel, both a tight vertical fracturing of these wells and a separate fracture network formed by micro fractures in the vicinity of the fan holes are formed.
The validation of these hypotheses has been conducted in CMG which showed that MAHOP gave better results compared to conventional SAGD where two horizontal wells are used. MAHOP gave better recovery values with less steam oil ratios. With the results of the simulation study a laboratory model was designed. Experimental operational parameters using three different wettability cases were simulated to observe recovery by considering several possible physical effects such as steam distillation and in-situ upgrading. Saturation and pressure distributions were also obtained.