Insar Monitoring in Heavy Oil Operations

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of recent InSAR monitoring integrated within Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) applications. It highlights the advantages of InSAR in monitoring surface deformation for Heavy Oil operations, management and optimization. Steam EOR techniques for heavy oil production present significant risks in several areas: - Cost: steaming is expensive and it is essential that facilities are sized properly and steam is utilized efficiently - HSE: wells and caprock integrity are necessary for reducing environmental risks - Recovery: identification of bypassed zones and steam migration tracking are crucial for recovery optimization Reducing risks in heavy oil operations requires steam migration monitoring, caprock&well integrity surveillance. Traditional monitoring techniques are based on the measurement of production and injection rates, pressure and temperature. Due to the fact that Heavy Oil reservoirs are generally shallow, caprock can be thin, and high pressures are required for steam injection activities, surface deformation monitoring is an additional tool that can assess steam chest expansion and enhance safety. Ground displacement monitoring using radar satellite interferometry (InSAR) is currently applied in California and Alberta for Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS), Steam Flooding (SF) and Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD). InSAR measurements are acquired remotely, over wide areas and to high precision. Recent advances in InSAR data processing have enhanced the quality of measurements, as well as increased their spatial density. High-resolution sensors are now available, increasing spatial resolution to one square meter and acquisition frequencies to every few days. The main capability of InSAR monitoring in heavy oil operations is to highlight zones of excessive pressure or subsidence and to control the integrity and safety of operations and infrastructure. In addition, given the high density of natural radar targets, InSAR monitoring can also be used to interpret steam propagation and chamber growth. These capabilities have made InSAR monitoring an essential tool for the dynamic management of several EOR and steam injection projects, reducing their inherent risk and costs.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90259 ©2016 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, June 19-22, 2016