Heavy Oil & Thermal Recovery
Heavy oil and thermal recovery from first principles: resources and the geology of California's heavy oil fields, viscosity and the thermal properties of reservoirs, steam generation and wellbore heat losses, SAGD and the Butler equation, steam-oil ratio and field operations, cyclic steam stimulation, steamflooding and the Marx-Langenheim model, solvent, hybrid and in situ combustion processes, CHOPS and polymer flooding, greenhouse gas intensity and cap-and-trade, and an integrated development plan, applied to a Kern County steamflood under CalGEM rules.
PET-370 Year 3 3 credits 12 lessons · 3 h 48 min ▶ Video lessons coming soon
Offered by HSM University · Petroleum Engineering
This is the American version of this course. See the Canadian version.
What you'll learn
- Classify heavy oil and bitumen by density and viscosity, describe the major North American resources and estimate oil in place and recoverable volumes.
- Describe the geology of heavy oil reservoirs, interpret core and log data for porosity, saturation and net pay, and explain why cap rock integrity governs thermal operations.
- Model the temperature dependence of heavy oil viscosity, use steam tables and thermal properties of rock and fluids, and estimate the heat needed to warm a reservoir.
- Explain surface mining and hot water extraction of bitumen, and calculate steam generator duty, fuel use and wellbore heat losses for thermal projects.
- Describe the SAGD process and steam chamber growth, apply Butler's equation to estimate drainage rates and screen reservoirs for SAGD.
- Calculate steam-oil ratios and water balances, explain steam generation and water treatment, and use subcool and artificial lift to manage thermal producers.
- Explain cyclic steam stimulation, estimate heated radius and cycle performance, and describe the containment risks of high-pressure steaming.
- Design steamflood patterns, apply the Marx-Langenheim model to estimate heated area and thermal efficiency, and manage a flood through its life cycle.
- Evaluate solvent-assisted, solvent-only, electrical and in situ combustion processes, including viscosity blending and solvent recovery.
- Assess cold heavy oil production, CHOPS, waterflooding and polymer flooding using mobility ratio and fractional flow, and choose between cold and thermal methods.
- Relate greenhouse gas intensity to steam-oil ratio, calculate carbon compliance costs and explain the water, land, air and containment rules for thermal projects.
- Prepare a thermal development plan that integrates reservoir, process, facilities, environmental and economic analysis, with sensitivities and a risk register.
Course content
12 lessons · 3 h 48 min total · final exam
- 1 Heavy oil and bitumen resources 20 min · quiz
- 2 Geology of California's heavy oil fields 19 min · quiz
- 3 Viscosity, heat and the thermal properties of reservoirs 18 min · quiz
- 4 Steam generation, distribution and wellbore heat losses 19 min · quiz
- 5 SAGD principles and the Butler equation 19 min · quiz
- 6 Thermal field operations and performance 19 min · quiz
- 7 Cyclic steam stimulation 19 min · quiz
- 8 Steamflooding 19 min · quiz
- 9 Solvent, hybrid and in situ combustion processes 19 min · quiz
- 10 Cold heavy oil production and waterflooding of heavy oil 19 min · quiz
- 11 Environmental performance and regulation 19 min · quiz
- 12 Development plan and economics: capstone 19 min · quiz
- E Final exam 20 questions
Requirements
Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.
Description
Heavy oil and thermal recovery from first principles: resources and the geology of California's heavy oil fields, viscosity and the thermal properties of reservoirs, steam generation and wellbore heat losses, SAGD and the Butler equation, steam-oil ratio and field operations, cyclic steam stimulation, steamflooding and the Marx-Langenheim model, solvent, hybrid and in situ combustion processes, CHOPS and polymer flooding, greenhouse gas intensity and cap-and-trade, and an integrated development plan, applied to a Kern County steamflood under CalGEM rules.
Part of the Engineering stream, typically taken in year 3.