SAGD OPERATIONS WITH INJECTION OF WATER WETTING AGENTS

Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) operations, which may be SAGD startup or normal operation, may involve injection of an aqueous emulsification solution that includes a water wetting agent selected for increasing the water wettability of the mineral surfaces that define micro-channels of the reservoir matrix. Whereas chemicals have been conventionally selected based on increasing the mobility of the oil phase and reducing the interfacial tension between the oil and the water phases, selection based on water wettability of the micro-channels in the reservoir matrix can facilitate increasing water mobility in the reservoir matrix and, in turn, the bitumen-in-water emulsification process can be improved. Chemical selection methods, hydrocarbon recovery processes, and various other techniques and features for implementing chemical injection are described.