FES Funded Projects Outputs Show only Author
Title
Category
Date
Authors
Projects
Design and Development of Experimental Facilities to Study Oil Recovery in Thermal Wells Poster presented in 2020 FES Industry Mixer
T07-P03 University of Alberta Activity 2020-02-20 T07-P03 HP-HT Well Completion Testing for Digital Oil Well Technology Validation and Research Poster presented in 2019 FES Colloquium
T07-P03 University of Alberta Activity 2019-05-07 T07-P03 HP-HT Well Completion Testing for Digital Oil Well Technology Validation and Research Poster presented in 2nd Annual Future Energy Systems
T07-P03 University of Alberta Activity 2018-10-03 T07-P03 Novel Laboratory Methodology for Fines Migration Testing for SAGD Wells The near-wellbore permeability loss owing to the release and migration of naturally fine particles
impairs the well productivity in oil reservoirs. The damage would be intensified in the presence
of restrictions such as sand control screens used in unconsolidated formations due to retardation
and accumulation of fine particles resulting from flow convergence and high volumetric flux. In
this study, sand retention flow tests in unconsolidated sand packs with different sand screens
resulted in fines migration under salinity reduction and consequently high permeability loss near
the sand screens. The sand pack represented a high permeable oil sand reservoir around a SAGD
well producer with a relatively high content of fine clay particles. In general, sand screens with a
low open flow area and narrow aperture size caused higher permeability loss under the same flow
conditions. Higher salinity reduction yielded higher mobilized fines concentration, causing high
permeability loss of the sample.
A 3D numerical model considering the sand screen geometry simulated the fines migration
process and matched the observed pressure drops with acceptable accuracy. The initial mobile
fines concentration for the model was set upon assuming an instant fine particles release
mechanism under salinity change. The model incorporates governing equations of fluid and
species transport in porous media associated with variations in porosity and permeability by
retained fine particles. Two objective functions of dimensionless pressure drop along the whole
and top-interval of the sand pack determined the model parameters through an optimization
algorithm. The calibrated model could predict the dimensionless pressure drops for the near
screen interval with sufficient accuracy. It was confirmed that the matching parameters were
nearly independent of the sand screen. However, different values for different salinities were
obtained, confirming their dependency on flow properties along with the porous media.
Keywords: Numerical modeling, Fines migration, Unconsolidated sands, Sand control screenT07-P03 University of Alberta Activity 2021-05-01 T07-P03 Permeability decline by fines migration near sand control screens in steam assisted gravity drainage: A numerical assessment The near-wellbore permeability loss caused by the release and migration of naturally fine particles impairs the well productivity in oil reservoirs. The damage would be intensified in the presence of restrictions such as sand control screens due to retardation and accumulation of fine particles resulting from flow convergence and high volumetric flux.T07-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2023-02-15 T07-P03 Near-Wellbore Salinity Effect on Sand Control Plugging by Fines Migration in Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage Producer Wells The study investigates the impact of formation water salinity on fines migration and the flow performance of sand control screens in steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) wells. Researchers conducted sand retention testing (SRT) under representative rock and multiphase flow conditions. They developed a novel SRT methodology that incorporated the salinity effect in multiphase flow through sandpack and sand control screens. The results revealed that reducing salinity significantly decreased the retained permeability of the screen coupon due to fines migration. This research highlights the importance of considering salinity effects in sand retention tests for SAGD wells, especially where high saline formation water is diluted by low-saline condensate steamT07-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2024-03-04 T07-P03 Electricity Generation from Post-blowdown Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage Researchers at the University of Alberta have developed innovative systems and methods that utilize a closed-loop circuit for water circulation in post-blowdown Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) operations. The goal is to recover heat from reservoirs after oil extraction and convert this recovered thermal energy into mechanical power, which is then used to generate electricity. The technology leverages an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) engine, which efficiently converts heat into mechanical work. Notably, the estimated cost per megawatt-hour (MWh) using this approach is lower than other conventional methods1. This advancement holds promise for sustainable energy production while optimizing oil recovery processes.T07-P03 University of Alberta IP Management 2023-05-17 T07-P03 Electricity Generation from Post-blowdown Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage SALIMI, M., Nouri, A. (2021) Electricity Generation from Post-blowdown Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage, United States Provisional Patent No. 63/190,367
In an aspect, the present disclosures provides methods and systems for harvesting thermal energy, including for example, harvesting thermal energy from a spent oil well having an injection well borehole (IWB), comprising disposing a conduit system within the IWB having an inner conduit within an outer conduit; connecting a first end of an inflow conduit to a proximal end of the inner conduit; connecting a second end of the inflow conduit to a cool water output of a heat exchanger (HX) system; connecting a first end of an outflow conduit to a proximal end of the outer conduit; connecting a second end of the outflow circuit to a hot water input of the HX system; circulating water in a closed loop to harvest thermal energy from an environment surrounding the closed loop; and extracting heat from the water circulating through the HX system. T07-P03 University of Alberta IP Management 2021-01-01 T07-P03 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POST-SAGD STEAM-LESS GREEN BITUMEN RECOVERY AND CLEAN POWER GENERATION Alireza Nouri, Mahmood Salimi, and Bruce Peachey, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POST-SAGD STEAM-LESS GREEN BITUMEN RECOVERY AND CLEAN POWER GENERATION
Inventors: Alireza Nouri, Mahmood Salimi, and Bruce R Peachey
Our Reference: 2024-061-02
Filed: June 16, 2025T07-P03, T07-P03-LBP1 University of Alberta IP Management 2025-06-16 T07-P03, T07-P03-LBP1 Thermal Effects on Fines Migration: Insights from Sand Pack Experiments This study investigates the influence of thermal and salinity variations on fines migration in SAGD reservoirs through high-pressure, high-temperature sand retention testing (SRT). Laboratory experiments with synthetic sand mixtures and slotted liner coupons revealed how repulsive electrostatic forces influence fines mobilization, transport, and retention. Findings provide insights into designing field strategies to mitigate permeability impairment and enhance oil recovery. This research was funded by Future Energy Systems (FES) under the project “Thermal Well Design and Testing (T07-P03)”T07-P03, T07-P03-LBP1 University of Alberta Publication 2025-07-01 T07-P03, T07-P03-LBP1 Innovative In Situ Combustion Technique: Dynamic Interval Air Injection (DIAI) for Enhanced Oil Recovery This study proposes a novel enhancement to the Toe-to-Heel Air Injection (THAI) process through Dynamic Interval Air Injection (DIAI), which dynamically adjusts injection zones to enhance combustion progression and oil recovery. Lab- and field-scale modeling demonstrated a 3.5-fold increase in oil displacement and improved oxygen efficiency compared to conventional THAI, highlighting DIAI’s potential for optimizing ISC performance. Funding for this work was provided by Future Energy Systems (FES) program under the project “Thermal Well Design and Testing (T07-P03)”.T07-P03, T07-P03-LBP1 University of Alberta Publication 2025-07-21 T07-P03, T07-P03-LBP1 ABClean Energy Systems
ABCleanEnergy Inc. is an innovation company with a primary objective of inventing, developing, or facilitating the implementation of new solutions to increase the sustainability of oil sands operations. ABCE’s interest, in general, is in clean power generation to minimize environmental impact and reduce reliance on costly alternatives. ABCE is particularly interested in clean energy solutions, including geothermal energy, energy recovery, and alternative fuels.
ABCE’s current focus is on technology related to “Clean Power Thermal (CP-Thermal ),” which recovers end-of-life thermal energy stored in in-situ thermal oil sands reservoirs and uses that energy to produce power, supporting the concept of a circular energy economy in the oil sands.T07-P03 University of Alberta IP Management 2022-05-01 T07-P03 ABClean Energy's CP-SAGD and CP-SAGD+ Technologies ABClean Energy Inc. is currently focused on its patent-pending Clean Power SAGD (CP-SAGD™) and CP-SAGD+ technologies, which recover low-grade thermal energy from depleted in-situ oil sands wells and convert it into power for on-site use or local grids. By integrating advanced completion design, system know-how, and field-specific reservoir applications, CP-SAGD supports a circular energy economy in Alberta’s oil sands.
T07-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2022-05-01 T07-P03 Post-SAGD Green Bitumen & Clean Power from Thermal Energy Recovery T07-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2024-06-13 T07-P03 CP-SAGD POST-SAGD Clean Power Generation Presentation given at the PTRC HORNET Semi-annual meeting
T07-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2023-11-20 T07-P03
