Executive Summary

This large model of a physical facility is to evaluate heavy oil and bitumen recovery technologies may offer substantially better performance than existing models, reduce costs and accelerate the pace of technology development.

An artificial reservoir, which would be a large physical model facility to evaluate heavy oil and bitumen recovery technologies, may offer substantially better performance than existing models, may reduce the cost and would accelerate the pace of technology development, for the benefit of industry and governments. The scope of work includes examining the current state of the art for laboratory scale reservoir models and how these models accommodate the mechanisms involved in various in situ recovery processes. The models of interest are those focussed on two main geological features: (i) Canadian heavy oil and bitumen sandstone reservoirs at depths between 100 and 600 meters (excluding bitumen in carbonates); and (ii) presence of shale barriers and water, gas, and thief zones.

The in situ recovery processes and technology options being targeted for study include: SAGD; solvent and steam processes; in situ combustion and air injection; heating with devices using electricity; biological processes; and number of wells and well spacing – options for single or multiple well patterns.

Final Report