A radiofrequency/microwave heating method for thermal heavy oil recovery based on a novel tight-shell conceptual design

The ongoing depletion of light oil resources and the increasing global energy demand is driving oil&gas companies towards the exploitation of unconventional oil resources. In order to extract crude oil from these resources, a sufficiently low oil viscosity must be achieved, for instance through...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of petroleum science & engineering 2013-07, Vol.107, p.18-30
Main Authors: BIENTINESI, Matteo, PETARCA, Luigi, CERUTTI, Alessandro, BANDINELLI, Mauro, DE SIMONI, Michela, MANOTTI, Matteo, MADDINELLI, Giuseppe
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antennas
Applied sciences
Crude oil
Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products
Crude oil, natural gas, oil shales producing equipements and methods
Depletion
Dielectrics
Energy
Enhanced oil recovery methods
Exact sciences and technology
Fuels
Heating
Irradiation
Microwaves
Oil recovery
Prospecting and production of crude oil, natural gas, oil shales and tar sands
Reservoirs
Sand
Shells
Temperature profiles
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Summary:The ongoing depletion of light oil resources and the increasing global energy demand is driving oil&gas companies towards the exploitation of unconventional oil resources. In order to extract crude oil from these resources, a sufficiently low oil viscosity must be achieved, for instance through temperature increase. Electromagnetic irradiation through downhole antennae can be a suitable method for in situ heating of reservoirs. Potential problems for this technique are the extremely high temperatures that can be reached at the well containing the radiating element and the strong dependence of temperature profiles on local variation of reservoir material properties. These problems can be solved to a large extent by inserting around the radiating well a tight shell made of a low loss dielectric material, and by selecting the proper irradiation frequency. The experimental work described in this paper aims to verify the effectiveness of a similar structure during the electromagnetic heating of over 2000 kg of oil sand in a sandbox up to 200 degree C, using a dipolar antenna. Oil sand was irradiated at 2.45 GHz frequency with variable power (1a2 kW). The temperature in the oil sand mass and on the boundary were recorded throughout the test in several specific points, in order to estimate temperature profiles along the distance from the antenna.
ISSN:0920-4105
DOI:10.1016/j.petrol.2013.02.014