A pilot project in Canada’s oil sands is testing the use of steam additives to optimize the steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) process. The effort aims to reduce steam-oil ratio (SOR) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity and initial results from the effort are promising, decreasing SOR while increasing oil production.

“This steam additives pilot is one incremental technology that will help us optimize the SAGD process by reducing the steam-oil ratio,” noted Javier Sanchez, Supervisor, Technology, ConocoPhillips Canada. “The effort is helping us build a pathway to net zero.”

Optimizing Production

During SAGD, additives are co-injected with steam, where they do their work at the edge of the steam chamber (condensation layer), increasing the emulsification of oil in water and reducing its viscosity. This improves fluid drainage and oil recovery per unit of steam injected, lowering both SOR and the amount of energy used for production. Depending on the type of energy source (electric or natural gas), this translates into a lower carbon footprint per barrel of oil as well as a lower water recirculation rate, which minimizes the use of fresh water. The additives are easy to handle and do not adversely affect the reservoir formation. They do not damage equipment and are only minimally impactful to separation, water treatment and recycling operations.

“The technology study began in 2017 with a lot of collaboration between people in Houston and Calgary who were all trying to develop technology that would enhance our SAGD process,” said Julian Ortiz, Supervisor, Strategy & Planning, ConocoPhillips Canada. A joint industry project was formed with the goal of screening a variety of commercially available additives. Lab testing began in early 2017, followed by facility design and construction in 2020. Three ConocoPhillips business units and 16 teams in Canada participated in the process.

The steam additives pilot phase began in early 2021 and is expected to last up to 24 months. If successful, it has the potential to reduce SOR and GHG emissions intensity by 15-35% in the pilot area. The effort is funded through the Government of Alberta (Alberta Innovates and Emissions Reduction Alberta), Surmont joint venture funding and ConocoPhillips marginal abatement cost curve (MACC) funding.

“This has truly been multi-disciplinary work; we have seen a lot of collaboration,” Ortiz added.