Comprehensive laboratory and numerical investigation of SAGD completions

这项建议涉及热力作业中油井的设计优化。在艾伯塔省和全球各地，热作业用于加热稠密的重油(沥青)，降低它们的粘度，并允许它们以经济的速度流入井筒。热力开采主要有两种技术：蒸汽辅助重力排水(SAGD)和周期蒸汽吞吐(CS)。这些井是在未固结的砂岩储层中钻井的，除非有管子支撑，否则将会坍塌，管子也起到屏蔽层的作用，允许流体通过，但将砂粒留在地层中。这些管式筛管称为独立筛管衬板，或简称衬板。**用于热操作的衬板有不同类型。这些衬垫被认为是为了防止储集层砂子流入井筒，但允许在储集层中产生非常细的材料(即细粉和粘土)。热力井的出砂通常是水平的，会导致尾管结砂，需要频繁关闭井筒进行井筒清理。被石油污染的沙子，一旦人工带到地面或通过井筒流动输送到地面，分离、清洁和处置的成本很高。生产细粉将导致更高的井筒生产率，因为如果不生产，它们将堵塞砂子和筛管。**允许生产细粉但将砂子保留在储层中的衬垫的设计是一项微妙的任务。过去制定了尾管设计标准，但不够充分和保守，导致井筒产能较低。在这项研究中，我们提出了三种不同常见类型衬里的设计标准。拟议的研究采用了一种全面的方法，通过使用物理和数学模型以及艾伯塔大学最先进的实验室设施进行的基础和应用研究，加强稠油油藏的衬垫设计。**

This proposal relates to the design optimization of petroleum wells in thermal operations. Thermal operations are used in Alberta and around the globe to heat thick heavy oils (bitumen), reduce their viscosity and allow their flow into the wellbore at economical rates. There are two major technologies for thermal operations: Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) and Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS). These wells are drilled in uncemented sand reservoirs and will collapse unless supported by pipes which also act as screens that allow the passage of fluids, but keep the sand grains in the formation. These pipe screens are called stand alone screen liners, or simply liners.**There are different types of liners for thermal operations. These liners are supposed to prevent the reservoir sand from flowing into the wellbore, but allow the production of very fine materials (i.e. fine silts and clay) in the reservoir. Sand production in thermal wells, which usually are horizontal, will result in sand accumulation in the liner, requiring the wellbore to be frequently shut in for wellbore clean up. The sand, which is contaminated by oil, is costly to separate, clean, and dispose of once manually brought to the surface or transported by wellbore flow to the surface. The production of fines will result in higher wellbore productivity as, if they are not produced, they will plug the sand and the screen liner.**The design of liners that allow the production of fines, but keep the sand in the reservoir is a delicate task. Liner design criteria have been developed in the past, but are inadequate and conservative, resulting in lower wellbore productivity. In this research, we propose the development of criteria for the design of three different common types of liners. The proposed research takes a comprehensive approach in enhancing the liner design for heavy oil reservoirs through fundamental and applied research using physical and mathematical modeling and state-of-the-art laboratory facilities at the University of Alberta.**