Fundamental studies on pore structure characterizatiion and multiphase flow in porous media with applications to oil recovery

本研究的重点是对多孔材料中的孔结构表征和多相流及其在采油中的应用进行基础研究。在加拿大西部，含有重油和沥青的储油层中有大量的石油。在水资源方面，当溢油进入含水层地下时，我们就会遇到问题，造成水污染。本研究的主要目的是：1)开发利用水平注采井回收稠油和沥青的新的热油开采方法，这种方法成本更高，减少了对空气和水的污染。为提高石油采收率和采油率，建议采用一种“温热”蒸气抽提方案，将碳氢化合物溶剂与蒸汽一起注入；2)加深对溶剂辅助蒸汽辅助重力排水(SA-SAGD)工艺中孔隙尺度界面现象的理解。为了更好地了解不同工艺条件下孔隙尺度上的界面现象，将量化具有孔洞和裂缝的油藏中非均质性的存在所起的作用，并将建立更好的数学模型来预测工艺性能；以及3)提高我们实验室开发的一项新技术的技术水平，该技术使用注入过饱和水和二氧化碳来就地清理受污染的淡水含水层和土壤中的溢油。这类石油泄漏通常是由于陆上储油罐(如汽油罐)泄漏或碳氢化合物运输过程中的意外泄漏造成的。NSERC对这项研究的资助将导致3个博士学位和3个或更多的硕士研究生的培养。在加拿大，利用这些研究基金进行拟议的研究，开发新的环境友好型技术具有巨大的潜力。这将有助于创造新的就业机会，更好地回收重油，减少受污染地区的水污染，并为所有加拿大人带来许多社会经济利益。

The focus of this research is to perform fundamental studies on pore structure characterization and multiphase flow in porous materials with applications to oil recovery. In Western Canada there are is lot of oil in reservoirs containing heavy oil and bitumen. In water resources, we have problems when an oil spill enters into water aquifer strata sub-surface, causing water pollution. The main objectives of this research are: 1) to develop new thermal oil recovery methods for the recovery of heavy oil and bitumen using horizontal injection and production wells that will more cost effective and will reduce the air and water pollution. It is proposed to use a "warm" vapour extraction scheme with co-injection of hydrocarbon solvents along with steam for improved oil recovery efficiency and rate of production; 2) to develop improved understanding of the pore-scale interfacial phenomena of the solvent-aided steam assisted gravity drainage (SA-SAGD) process. Developing a better understanding of interfacial phenomena at the pore-scale for different process conditions, the role played by the presence of heterogeneities in oil reservoirs with vuggy porosity and fractures will be quantified and better mathematical models will be made for predicting process performance; and 3) to advance the state of the art in a new technology developed in our laboratory that uses the injection of supersaturated water with CO2 to clean-up in-situ the oil spills in contaminated fresh-water aquifers and soils. Such oil spills usually result from leaky storage tanks on land (e.g., gasoline tanks) or accidental spills during transportation of hydrocarbons. The financial support of this research by NSERC will result in the training of 3 PhD degree and 3 or more Master's degree students. There is great potential to develop new and environmentally friendly technologies here in Canada with these research funds for proposed research. This will help create new jobs, better ways to recover the heavy oil and to reduce water pollution in contaminated sites and many socio-economic benefits to all Canadians.