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的孔隙结构表征和多相流动进行基础研究，并将其应用于石油开采。在加拿大西部，有大量的石油在含有重油和沥青的储层中。在水资源方面，当溢油进入地下含水层时，我们会遇到问题，造成水污染。本研究的主要目的是：1）开发新的热采方法，用于使用水平注入和生产威尔斯的稠油和沥青的回收，这将更有效地降低空气和水的污染。建议使用“温”蒸汽开采方案，沿着蒸汽共注入碳氢化合物溶剂，以提高石油采收率和生产率; 2）加深对溶剂辅助蒸汽辅助重力泄油（SA-SAGD）过程的孔隙规模界面现象的了解。更好地了解不同工艺条件下孔隙尺度的界面现象，将量化具有孔洞和裂缝的储油层中存在的不均匀性所起的作用，并建立更好的数学模型，以预测工艺性能;以及3）推进我们实验室开发的新技术的最新水平，该技术使用注入过饱和水和CO2来清洁-在受污染的淡水蓄水层和土壤中就地清除石油溢漏。这种石油泄漏通常是由于陆地上的泄漏储罐（例如，汽油罐）或碳氢化合物运输过程中的意外泄漏。NSERC对这项研究的财政支持将导致3名博士学位和3名或更多硕士学位学生的培训。有很大的潜力，开发新的和环境友好的技术在加拿大这里与这些研究基金的拟议研究。 这将有助于创造新的就业机会，更好地回收重油，减少污染地点的水污染，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.