Abstract
This work aims to present a new production string in the offshore heavy oil thermal recovery process and optimize the steam injection rate and the string structure. The integrated production string is capable of injecting steam and extracting oil at the same time. In this paper, we first briefly introduce the work background of this string, which is implemented at the NB35-2 heavy oil field, China. Then, the structure and operating process are explained in detail. A numerical model, solved by CMG software, is established to simulate the new production process. After validating the numerical model's feasibility through field data, the steam injection rate and the string structure are optimized using the numerical model. From the simulation results, the optimized steam injection rate in the given string structure is 80 tons/day. The structure of the integrated production string is divided into three sections: a steam injection section, an oil-producing section and their spacing. The effect of the string structure on the oil production rate changes after approximately 2 years of production. During the first two years, the shorter the steam injection and the spacing, the higher the oil production rate. After about two years of production, the longer the steam injection and the spacing, the greater the long-term oil production.
NSTL
Elsevier