SPE 144484-PP

The In situ Combustion Pilot Project in Bare field, Orinoco Oil Belt,
Venezuela
Perozo, H. ; Mendoza, A.; Teixeira,J.; Alvarez,A ; J. Mrquez ; Ortega,P; Vasquez,P. PDVSA INTEVEP

Copyright 2011, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Enhanced Oil Recovery Conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1921 July 2011.
This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been
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Abstract
The In Situ Combustion Pilot Project (ISCPP) to be carried out in the Orinoco Oil Belt (Venezuela), is a technological project
leaded by PDVSA Intevep together with several organizations of PDVSA E&P San Tom. ISCPP is oriented towards the
assessment of such thermal process in the increase of recovery factors in heavy (H) and extra heavy (XH) crude oil
reservoirs.
Although the Orinoco Oil Belt was discovered in the 1930s, it was in the 1980s that the first rigorous evaluations were made.
Recently, the area was certificated to contain 235 billions of recoverable (20% of recovery factor) barrels of heavy and extra
heavy oil.
The ISCPP will allow the study and development of new technologies that increase the current recovery factor in the worlds
largest H/XH oil reservoir.
This work covers all of disciplines considered in the project, mainly:
1- The analysis of lab combustion tests using two kinds of cells both prepared with sand and saturated with water and
XH crude oil at reservoir conditions.
2- The static and dynamic reservoir simulations using Petrel and Star respectively.
3- The design, construction and completion of producers, observers and air injection wells.
4- The study, analysis and development of surface facilities and the gas treatment system and monitoring, which
must have to take care of relevant quantities of contaminant gases such as SO2, H2S and CO.
Based on this study, the technical and economical feasibility analyses were completed. The cold production is expected to
begin during first semester of 2011, while the thermal phase involving air injection, which is the aim of the project, will be
implemented throughout the second semester 2011.

INTRODUCTION

The Orinoco Oil Belt was discovered in the 1930s; but it was not until the 1980s that the first rigorous evaluation of the
resources was made. Recently, the area was certificated to contain 235 billions recoverable (20% of recovery factor) barrels
of heavy and extra heavy oil (PDVSA 2009).