Electromagnetic Induction Heating for Bitumen Recovery: A Case Study in Athabasca Oil Sands

This paper demonstrates how electromagnetic induction heating is used for bitumen recovery from the Athabasca oil sands in Alberta with minimal external water requirements. The paper addresses the setup requirements and the necessary parameters for this method to achieve an economic energy to oil ratio. An iterative process is followed to couple the heat rate generated by electromagnetic induction heating to the reservoir model over a defined period. The reservoir model represents a 33 meter payzone with properties for the lower McMurray formation in an area north of Fort McMurray within the Athabasca oil sands deposit. Several scenarios are extensively explored to reach the most practical and feasible setup for oil recovery. The process enables operators to monitor and control reservoir pressure and temperature, liquid production, and energy to oil ratio to maximize recovery from oil sands and heavy oil reservoirs. The results show an expected ultimate oil recovery factor of +70% with an average energy to oil ratio that is lower than the average ratio associated with steam assisted gravity drainage. It is observed that the amount of energy required by the process correlates with water saturation in the near wellbore region, higher water saturation levels are preferred for enhanced oil recovery. It is also noticed that majority of the electromagnetically induced heat rate is generated in the near wellbore region vaporizing any existing water in that region, which eventually slows down the heating process. However, water injection improves the heat convection further into the reservoir, and therefore is essential for establishing a steam chamber using this method. Nevertheless, the volume of injected water required to establish a steam chamber is comparable to the overall volume of water produced from the reservoir, and thus minimal external water is necessary in this process. Moreover, the method is emissions free because heat is generated in the reservoir using an electrically powered downhole inductor (patent pending) that transfers electromagnetic energy to heat. In conclusion, this novel method shows high potential for responsible oil recovery from oil sands and heavy oil reservoirs while meeting economic and environmental expectations. This paper presents the use of a novel clean energy technology to recover bitumen from the Athabasca oil sands in Alberta. Furthermore, the technology is of high value to oil production from heavy oil reservoirs around the world and therefore provides large benefits to the energy industry.