In‐situ upgrading of heavy oil using nano‐catalysts: A computational fluid dynamics study of hydrogen and vacuum residue injection

Abstract

Abstract A novel nano‐catalytic in‐situ upgrading technology (ISUT) using hot fluid injection for heavy oil and bitumen production and recovery has been proposed recently (Pereira‐Almao et al., in‐situ upgrading via hot fluid injection, US Patent US20150114636A1). In this method, a vacuum distillation unit is used to separate the vacuum residue of the produced oil. The nano‐catalysts are then dispersed into the vacuum residue (VR) and are re‐injected in the reservoir, along with hydrogen. However, because of the difference in the interface forces in the residue/gas mixture, segregation of gas is possible. A practical hydrogen to VR ratio of 120 Scc/cc is employed to study the physical separation possibility within actual reservoir/well geometry. VR and hydrogen are injected at 357 and 100 °C, respectively. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is employed to model the VR + H 2 injection using the volume of fluid (VOF) method. Sensitivity analysis on reservoir pressure, mixing layout, and hydrogen solubility is also conducted.