Rodriguez Fernancelys, Llamedo Maria, Belhaj Hadi, Mendoza Arturo, Elraies Khaled A
Independent Consultant, Yvelines 78550, France.
Petroleos de Venezuela S.A, INTEVEP, Caracas 1070A, Venezuela.
ACS Omega. 2023 Jul 25;8(31):28060-28079. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.2c08059. eCollection 2023 Aug 8.
In situ combustion (ISC) is one of the oldest thermal enhanced oil recovery methods to have been applied in Venezuela to increase the production of highly viscous crude oils, with a first field application in 1959 in the Tia Juana Field-Lake Maracaibo Basin. This method, which is characterized by high energy efficiency, consists of injecting air into the reservoir where exothermic oxidation reactions initiate to increase the mobility of the oil. Compared to other thermal enhanced oil recovery methods such as steam injection, ISC has a lower environmental impact in terms of water and fuel consumption, and emission of gases as the produced gases can be reinjected or stored. Several ISC projects have been carried out in Venezuela in Tia Juana, Morichal, Miga, and Melones fields. Although the technical results have been satisfactory in terms of viscosity reduction and improved crude oil properties (such as °API), other important aspects of project evaluations have not been convincing due to the following factors: high temperatures in producing wells, acid gases management, generation of complex emulsions, corrosion, and high CAPEX and OPEX costs. Nevertheless, additional research work has been conducted on process optimization, using catalysts and hydrogen donors, to better address these other factors. Due to the great need to increase hydrocarbon production in Venezuela and to the advantages of ISC as an upgrading technique where low-carbon fuels and hydrogen as byproducts are generated, this paper presents a revisit of ISC projects in Venezuela from R&D technical aspects to field applications. It seeks to identify the main insights regarding the success and failure of the evaluated projects and make substantiated recommendations in the case of future applications of this technology.
就地燃烧（ISC）是委内瑞拉应用的最古老的热力强化采油方法之一，用于提高高粘度原油的产量，1959年首次在马拉开波湖盆地的蒂华纳油田投入现场应用。该方法具有能源效率高的特点，包括将空气注入油藏，引发放热氧化反应，以提高原油的流动性。与其他热力强化采油方法（如蒸汽注入）相比，就地燃烧在水和燃料消耗以及气体排放方面对环境的影响较小，因为产出气体可以回注或储存。委内瑞拉已在蒂华纳、莫里查尔、米加和梅洛内斯油田开展了多个就地燃烧项目。尽管在降低粘度和改善原油性质（如API度）方面技术成果令人满意，但由于以下因素，项目评估的其他重要方面并不令人信服：生产井温度高、酸性气体管理、复杂乳液的产生、腐蚀以及高额的资本支出和运营支出成本。尽管如此，已针对工艺优化开展了更多研究工作，采用催化剂和供氢体，以更好地应对这些其他因素。鉴于委内瑞拉大幅增加烃类产量的迫切需求以及就地燃烧作为一种升级技术的优势，即能产生低碳燃料和氢气副产品，本文从研发技术层面到现场应用对委内瑞拉的就地燃烧项目进行了重新审视。旨在确定所评估项目成败的主要见解，并就该技术未来的应用提出有充分依据的建议。
