Comprehensive laboratory and numerical investigation of SAGD completions

这一建议涉及到热采油井的设计优化。在阿尔伯塔省和世界各地，热作业被用于加热稠油（沥青），降低其粘度，并使其以经济的速度流入井筒。目前有两种主要的热作业技术：蒸汽辅助重力泄油（SAGD）和循环蒸汽增产（CSS）。这些井是在未胶结的砂岩储层中钻探的，除非有管道支撑，否则会坍塌。管道也起到筛管的作用，允许流体通过，但将砂粒留在地层中。这些管筛管被称为独立筛管衬管，或简称衬管。**热操作有不同类型的衬垫。这些衬管的作用是防止储层砂粒流入井筒，同时允许储层中产生非常细的物质（如细粉砂和粘土）。热井通常是水平井，出砂会导致尾管积砂，需要频繁关井进行井筒清理。这些被石油污染的砂一旦被人工带到地面或通过井筒流动输送到地面，分离、清洁和处理的成本很高。细小颗粒的产生将提高井筒产能，因为如果不产生细小颗粒，它们将堵塞砂体和筛管尾管。**尾管的设计既能产生细砂，又能将砂保持在储层中，这是一项微妙的任务。过去已经制定了尾管设计标准，但这些标准不充分且保守，导致井筒产能降低。在这项研究中，我们提出了三种不同类型的常见衬垫的设计标准的发展。该研究通过物理和数学建模以及阿尔伯塔大学最先进的实验室设施进行基础和应用研究，全面提高稠油油藏尾管设计水平

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.**