Economic optimization for operation options in thermal oil recovery process

ABSTRACT

This paper describes the uses of the Box–Behnken experimental design to optimize the factors affecting the production performance in steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) operation, Peace River oil sands. The response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to search for the best designs in contour plots and response surface map. A total of 41 cases were run to optimize the parameters of operating conditions and the net present value (NPV) responses during 10 years of the simulation period. To maximize the net present value, the optimal conditions should operate at a well pattern spacing (WPS) of 78 m, a steam injection rate of 550 m³/d, an injector producer spacing (IPS) of 14 m, injection a pressure (IP) of 6,350 kPa, and a subcool of 5°C.

Simulation results showed that cumulative oil for the Fast-SAGD process does not significantly increase and even NPV is the lowest among the mentioned SAGD cases. The difference of 10 kPa between steam IP and reservoir pressure is not sufficient to increase the NPV for both Fast-SAGD and SAGD operations.

KEYWORDS:

• Box–Behnken design
• NPV
• optimization
• response surface methodology
• SAGD

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Computer Modelling Group Ltd. and Schlumberger K.K for the encouragement in writing this paper.

Funding

Financial support for this work is gratefully acknowledged from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE) and Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning: ETI Project (KETEP).

Additional information

Funding

Financial support for this work is gratefully acknowledged from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE) and Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning: ETI Project (KETEP).