Objective
To develop a downhole steam generator for the thermal recovery of crude oil to the stage of initial preparations for a field trial. The generator incorporates a pulsed burner, patented by BP, which should overcome the materials problems arising from the sustained high temperatures which occur in contiuous burners under these conditions.
The design of the prototype generator incorporates the results of an extensive development programme, chiefly on the novel pulsed high pressure combustor, the ignition system and the engineering of the burner tube. A rig has been built to test reduced scale combustors at up to 70 bars.
Potential applications include: fields where co-injection of exhaust gases could enhance recovery rates; offshore locations where equipment siting and water treatment could be important factors; permafrost zones where melting around the injection well has to be prevented. The development of insulated tubing by others has provided an alternative and possibly more attractive method of injecting steam into deep reservoirs. However, a key factor in all cases is the extent of the benefit form the co-injection of exhaust gases. Substantial benefit would favour this type of generator.
Steam for oil recovery is conventionally injected from generators mounted at the surface; a downhole steam generator would eliminate heat losses from the wellbore and may offer other advantages, such as greater flexibility in the siting of surface equipment, reduced feed water treatment and less atmospheric pollution. The BP generator also injects the products of combustion, carbon dioxide and nitrogen, with the steam. Thus flue heat losses are eliminated, and there is evidence that these additional gases can increase the oil recovery rate.
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Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
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Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
EC24 9BU London
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.