A pore level modeling of heat transfer in SAGD process

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) is a thermal EOR method that uses steam injection from a horizontal well and creates a steam chamber to provide better sweep of the reservoir toward the horizontal production well. Heat transfer plays an important role in SAGD process. Although many experiments and simulations are executed to study this method, the role of the morphology of porous media has not simulated. The main goal of this article as the first study of its kind is to study heat transfer in SAGD process using a pore network mathematical modeling. A 2-D pore network model is created and assumed to be in contact with saturated vapor. A control volume approach is used to study heat transfer through the network. This study is performed for pore networks by solid body material of sandstone and common glass that is used generally for pore level experimental studies and then the effect of porosity and fractures is investigated. It was found that glass micromodels are not reliable to investigate heat transfer in sandstones. Also this study showed that models with lower porosity transfer heat faster. Vertical fractures reduce heat transfer more than the horizontal fractures.