Improvement of Efficiency of Steam-Thermal Treatment of High-Viscous Oil Formations Using Downhole Electric Steam Generators

Abstract

The presented work investigates a method for developing hard-to-recover hydrocarbon reserves based on a downhole electrothermal steam generator, which is distinguished by energy efficiency, resource conservation and environmental safety. The paper presents an overview of downhole electro-thermal equipment that improves the quality of thermal treatment of the bottom-hole zone of high-viscous oil formations by separating steam in an electric steam generator and increasing its dryness, wherein thermal energy in the oil-formation medium affects all its components and completely changes ties and filtration conditions. This is expressed in a decrease in the viscosity of oil, its increased mobility, weakening of structural-mechanical properties, improvement of the conditions for capillary imbibition, and, as a result, an increase in the displacement factor and the final oil recovery. A simulation of the reservoir temperature field was performed by setting the heat flow in the ANSYS software package to understand the thermal processes in the steam generator and to more accurately determine the necessary heating parameters for a given water flow rate. The temperature field of the reservoir simulation after the heat treatment of the bottom-hole zone was conducted in the software package Femlab 3.5. The proposed simulation models can help in the development of the physical model and further research. This technology is environmentally friendly and does not emit emissions into the atmosphere.