Application and Outlook of In-situ Combustion for Developing Heavy Oil Reservoir

摘要

As the most potential development method of heavy oil reservoir, in-situ combustion has the maximal recovery factor due to its multiple displacement mechanisms. The paper presents the enhancing oil recovery mechanism of in-situ combustion through analyzing the combustion principle of crude oil in reservoir and displacement mechanism of burning front. Then the five key technologies of in-situ combustion were discussed primarily here on the basis of oil burning characteristic in reservoir, including the selecting criterion of in-situ combustion for heavy oil reservoir, ignition technique, monitoring technique of burning, combustion control technique of burning front, physical and mathematical simulation of in-situ combustion. From the discussion, present technique status was presented, the key problems were exposed, and the technique demands and long term potential were brought forward. As In-situ combustion being in the ascendant, the paper summarized its enhancing oil recovery mechanism, the techniques demanding and the outlook in the future, which provided the most advanced technologies and point out the developing direction about it.