Formation Damage in SAGD: A Review of Experimental Modelling Techniques

Fernando Rengifo Barbosa (), Rahman Miri and Alireza Nouri ()
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Fernando Rengifo Barbosa: Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
Rahman Miri: Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
Alireza Nouri: Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-21

Abstract: Bitumen extraction using Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) in northern Alberta oilsands has been crucial for recovery; however, the thermal effects on formation damage still require significant attention. This thermal recovery method causes substantial changes in temperature and pressure, which are critical thermodynamic factors in the rock-fluid system of a reservoir. Those changes, both directly and indirectly, impact the flow of oil and water within the porous medium, changing fluid properties and physicochemical interactions that affect rock and fluid behaviour. Coreflooding experiments confirm the accumulation of in situ migratory particles within the pore spaces can lead to pore throat plugging and fines accumulation on the sand control screen. This disturbance within the near-wellbore region triggers permeability reduction and, subsequently, skin buildup. At the same time, changes in pressure drop may trigger the precipitation of organic and inorganic scaling and, finally, wettability alterations. This paper combines field observations and experimental tests to assess the formation damage mechanisms. While the literature has identified factors influencing the formation damage mechanisms, the interaction between these mechanisms, as well as the interplay between the wellbore completion and the surrounding sand from the perspective of formation damage, has not been thoroughly investigated. Current laboratory tests do not adequately account for the effects of high pressure and high temperature on formation damage mechanisms and their interaction in the near-wellbore region. Following the introduction of current experimental and theoretical methods related to formation damage mechanisms around SAGD wellbores, this paper introduces a comprehensive and integrated methodology for designing, testing, and evaluating formation damage mechanisms in SAGD producer wells, addressing the gaps identified in this review. This approach aims to bridge identified gaps from the literature review, advance formation damage assessment, and support the reduction of induced formation damage in thermal recovery operations.

Keywords: SAGD; oilsands; fines migration; organic deposition; inorganic scaling; mineral transformation; wettability alteration (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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