Steamflood Efficiency Improvement Through Use of Hydraulic Fracturing Technology - A Simulation Approach

J. F. Manrique, H. E. Cole, and A. F. Frederick

We present the use of fracturing technology to accelerate performance and improve ultimate recovery in heavy oil reservoirs. The applicability and efficiency of this approach were investigated by means of numerical simulation. A fully implicit 3-D thermal simulator was used to model the heat transfer efficiency and productivity enhancement when using this approach. Different scenarios were modeled for wells with horizontal and vertical fractures and for fractured horizontal wells with orthogonal, longitudinal and S-shaped fractures. This technology may be especially suitable for thinner reservoirs, dipping reservoirs and steam distillation drives.

The "heat plane source" concept is presented in this paper to explain the advantages of fractured steam injectors for improvement of thermal recovery processes. During steam injection, heat convection and gravity effects become dominant in the near wellbore area causing excessive heat losses and poor recovery. We suggest an approach that will minimize convection override of the oil while creating a more efficient and stable steam drive.

Numerical results suggest that production response of current steamflood operations can be improved by inclusion of hydraulic fractures. Additional advantages observed for fractured injectors suggested a modified injection schedule that improves productivity and steam allocation for neighboring projects. This results in a faster return of investment and substantial increase in cash flow during the early life of the project. The economic benefits were evaluated by incorporating the production response into an economic model that maximizes the Return of Investment and Net Present Value.

AAPG Search and Discover Article #91019©1996 AAPG Convention and Exhibition 19-22 May 1996, San Diego, California