Multi-stage development process and model of steam chamber for SAGD production in a heavy oil reservoir with an interlayer

Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) is an efficient thermal recovery technique for oil sands and extra heavy oil exploitation. The development of steam chamber goes through multi-stage physical processes for SAGD production in a heavy oil reservoir with an interlayer. In this study, considering the situation that an interlayer is located directly above a pair of horizontal wells, we analyzed the whole process of steam chamber development. We divided the whole process into stages I–V, which are the first rising stage, the first lateral expansion stage, the second rising stage, the second lateral expansion stage and the confinement stage, respectively. Particularly, we further divided stage II into 2 periods and stage IV into 3 periods. These stages and periods can help us understand the development process of steam chamber dominated by an interlayer more profoundly. Based on the divided stages and periods, we established different models of SAGD production by assuming different geometric shapes of steam chamber in different stages and periods. Oval shape was assumed in stages I and III, and inverse triangle shape was hypothesized in stages II, IV and V. The formulas of the front distance of steam chamber and the oil production rate of SAGD were deduced from the established models for different development stages. At the end, we performed two example applications to SAGD production in heavy oil reservoirs with an interlayer. The real oil production rates were matched very well with the theoretical oil production rates calculated by the deduced formulas, which implies the multi-stage development model of steam chamber is of reliability and utility.