SIMULATION STUDY OF EFFECT OF FRACTURE PARAMETERS ON PERFORMANCE OF VAPEX PROCESS

Vapor Extraction (VAPEX) has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years as an innovative method of heavy oil or bitumen recovery. As a great part of heavy oil resources, fractured reservoirs had been the recent subject of numerous researches. The purpose of this work is the investigation of effects of different fracture parameters such as orientation, length, number and position of fractures on the performance of this process. For this study, first of all, a numerical two dimensional model was constructed by GEM module of CMG software to simulate VAPEX process in conventional system and then this conventional model was modified and different fracture patterns were set on it. Simulation analysis showed that fractures enhance the recovery of the VAPEX process by improving the contact between solvent and oil but vertical fractures had a better performance than horizontal ones. Recovery also enhanced in the case of longer extension, more number of fractures and these effects are more sensitive about vertical fracture. Position of fractures also has been investigated. Simulation results showed that effect of this parameter on recovery is complicated but in general it can be said that fractures positioned at the top of fracture patterns cause higher oil rate production in VAPEX period