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及其在采油中的应用进行基础性研究。在加拿大西部，含有重油和沥青的油藏中蕴藏着大量的石油。在水资源方面，我们遇到的问题是石油泄漏进入地下含水层，造成水污染。本研究的主要目标是：1)开发新的热采油方法，用于利用水平注入井和生产井开采稠油和沥青，这将更具成本效益，并将减少空气和水污染。为了提高采收率和采收率，提出了采用蒸汽和烃类溶剂共注的“温”蒸汽萃取方案；2)提高对溶剂辅助蒸汽辅助重力排水（SA-SAGD）过程孔隙尺度界面现象的认识。更好地理解不同工艺条件下孔隙尺度上的界面现象，可以量化非均质性在孔洞型和裂缝型油藏中的作用，并建立更好的数学模型来预测工艺性能；3)推进我们实验室开发的一项新技术，该技术使用注入含有二氧化碳的过饱和水来现场清理受污染的淡水含水层和土壤中的石油泄漏。这种石油泄漏通常是由于陆地上的储油罐（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。国家科学研究委员会将为本研究提供资金支持，培养3名博士学位和3名以上硕士学位学生。利用这些研究基金，在加拿大开发新的环保技术具有很大的潜力。这将有助于创造新的就业机会，以更好的方式回收重油，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效益。

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.