ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company has awarded the first license for
its patented steam injection system and production method to Baker
Hughes to improve the efficiency of in-situ oil sands projects.
Approximately 80 percent of Canada's oil sands can be produced using
in-situ technology, which involves the injection of steam to enable
bitumen to be extracted through drilling versus surface mining.
The ExxonMobil-patented technology provides more effective regulation
and distribution of steam in long horizontal wells for in-situ oil sands
production. The technology reduces the number of wells needed, lowers
operating costs by reducing steam consumption and improves overall
recovery from the field.
The technology can be used in cyclic steam stimulation (CSS),
steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) and steam flood (SF) heavy oil
production projects. The technology was developed by Imperial Oil
Limited, an ExxonMobil Canadian affiliate, and applied at the Imperial Cold
Lake oil sands project.
"We have demonstrated that our technology can improve the economics and
the environmental performance of oil sands projects," said Sara Ortwein,
ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company president. "This is one of several
significant technologies we have developed over the past five decades
for improving oil sands production."
The steam injection technology (embodied in United States patent
6,158,510 and Canadian patent 2,219,513) has two key components:
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An externally mounted screen section that enables excellent contact
between the well and the reservoir, and
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One or more small flow orifices beneath the screen section that
creates the desired level of flow restriction between the inside of
the pipe and the reservoir.
The technology enables control of steam into the formation over the
entire length of the horizontal well. For SAGD applications, this
technology can be used on both injector and producer wells to manage
steam distribution and oil production from the reservoir.
"This robust technology has proven itself in oil sands applications in
Canada by increasing the efficiency of the injected steam and improving
ultimate recovery, which translates into lower CO2 emissions
per barrel of oil produced," said Eddie Lui, Imperial Oil Resources
vice-president, oil sands development and research.