An Investigation of Channeling Identification for the Thermal Recovery Process of Horizontal Wells in Offshore Heavy Oil Reservoirs

Renfeng Yang, Taichao Wang (), Lijun Zhang, Yabin Feng, Huiqing Liu, Xiaohu Dong and Wei Zheng
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Renfeng Yang: State Key Laboratory of Offshore Oil Exploitation, Beijing 100028, China
Taichao Wang: State Key Laboratory of Offshore Oil Exploitation, Beijing 100028, China
Lijun Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Offshore Oil Exploitation, Beijing 100028, China
Yabin Feng: State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China
Huiqing Liu: State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China
Xiaohu Dong: State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China
Wei Zheng: State Key Laboratory of Offshore Oil Exploitation, Beijing 100028, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-17

Abstract: The development of inter-well channeling pathways has become a major challenge restricting the effectiveness of the thermal recovery process for heavy oil reservoirs, which leads to non-uniform sweep and reduced oil recovery. This is especially true for the characteristics of the higher injection–production intensity in offshore operations, making the issue more prominent. In this study, a quick and widely applicable approach is proposed for channeling identification, utilizing the static reservoir parameters and injection–production performance. The results show that the cumulative injection–production pressure differential (CIPPD) over the cumulative water equivalent (CWE) exhibits a linear relationship when connectivity exists between the injection and production wells. Thereafter, the seepage resistance could be analyzed quantitatively by the slope of the linear relationship during the steam injection process. Simultaneously, a channeling identification chart could be obtained based on the data of injection–production performance, dividing the steam flooding process into three different stages, including the energy recharge zone, interference zone, and channeling zone. Then, the established channeling identification chart is applied to injection–production data from two typical wells in the Bohai oilfield. From the obtained channeling identification chart, it is shown that Well X1 exhibits no channeling, while Well X2 exhibited channeling in the late stage of the steam flooding process. These findings are validated against the field performance (i.e., the liquid rate, water cut, flowing temperature, and flowing pressure) to confirm the accuracy. The channeling identification approach in this paper provides a guide for operational adjustments to improve the effect of the thermal recovery process in the field.

Keywords: offshore heavy oil reservoirs; thermal recovery process; steam channeling; injection–production performance; identification approach (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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