The steam chamber study of thermal recovery heavy oil reservoir based on temperature monitoring data, time-lapse seismic and reservoir simulation result

Feng Zhang¹, YinTao Cai¹, Libo Guo¹, Tingting Pan¹, Xiaomeng Cao¹, and Yuzhen Wang¹

Abstract

As the viscosity of heavy oil is very sensitive to temperature, thermal recovery technology is still widely used as an effective method in the world till now. The temperature and pressure and their distribution are significant symbols to judge whether the thermal recovery is successful. As an important dynamic monitoring method, wellbore temperature observation system provides long-term, accurate temperature monitoring data. The measurement objects of temperature observation wells are geothermal gradient and local temperature anomaly. When a well is producing or injecting, the original temperature field will be changed, then the temperature curves can accurately reflect these changes. Time-lapse seismic data use the difference between monitor survey and baseline survey to characterize reservoir changes. Reservoir numerical simulation can depict the distribution and variation of reservoir fluid. Based on the temperature monitoring data from distributed fiber sensors, time-lapse seismic data, and reservoir numerical simulation result, this paper uses a heavy oil reservoir in china as example to discuss the following issues: Analyze the reason of the temperature difference between inside and outside tube for different production phase and present the proposal for how to use the temperature data reasonably; Use the characteristics of the saturated-steam and the shape of temperature curve to determine the building-time of the steam chamber; Analyze steam chamber fronts in lateral and the changing process of steam chamber; Calculate the speed of steam chamber overlapping; And finally comprehensively use all of these to differentiate the physical interlayers from reservoir, predict the distribution of remaining oil, and guide the field operation.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90188 ©GEO-2014, 11th Middle East Geosciences Conference and Exhibition, 10-12 March 2014, Manama, Bahrain