In-Situ Upgrading Process Offers Potential for Heavy-Oil Recovery

In-situ upgrading (IU) is a promising method of improved viscous- and heavy-oil recovery. The IU process involves a reservoir being exposed to temperatures greater than 300°C long enough to promote a series of chemical reactions. In this work, the authors developed a numerical model of IU on the basis of laboratory experiences and validated results, applying the model to an IU test published in the literature. Simulation results for the cores submitted have shown that oil production and oil-sample quality were well-predicted by the model.

Introduction

In this paper, results of a previously published experiment and those of an unpublished experiment (Experiment B) are modeled and discussed.