Thermal Impact Assessment On Oil Sands Reservoirs: Petrophysical Behavior And Recovery Potential Through Reservoir Modeling
Okoro Chijioke Emeka
Department of Petroleum Engineering, Rivers State University, Nigeria
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of temperature (100°C to 280°C) on the petrophysical properties—permeability and porosity—and recovery potential of a designed oilsand reservoir. Core samples were obtained from Edo State, Nigeria, and subjected to steam injection at varying temperatures. Initial measurements at ambient temperature indicated that the oilsand formation had a porosity of 0.038 and permeability of 0.007 millidarcies (MD). Results show that increasing the formation temperature through steam injection alters the petrophysical properties, leading to a decrease in porosity and an increase in permeability. The enhanced permeability improves the mobility of bitumen, thereby increasing the recovery potential of heavy oil from the reservoir. These findings suggest that thermal stimulation via steam injection is an effective method to enhance the performance of tight oilsand reservoirs.