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Steam injection profile control is a significant challenge for thermal recovery of heavy oil with horizontal wells. There is no reliable commercially available method for controlling two-phase steam distribution in horizontal laterals. In fact, there is not even a commercial laboratory capable of testing such devices. To address this gap, Chevron constructed a surface horizontal steam injection test facility in the Kern River Field located outside of Bakersfield, California. This facility is used for testing commercial and proprietary devices for improving control of steam distribution along a lateral in a horizontal well. The horizontal steam injection test facility tests the capabilities of a wide range of full-sized downhole completion equipment (tubing and liner flow control devices, tubing/liner and annulus/liner isolation devices) at the surface under precise controlled conditions. This paper discusses the need for horizontal steam injection wells, steam distribution control, and the current "state-of-the-art" horizontal steam injection completions or, more accurately, the lack of steam profile controls currently available. Also discussed are the three areas critical for controlling the steam profile along a lateral: 1) liner-open hole, 2) liner, and 3) tubing-liner. The capabilities of the test facility, impact of flow regimes, initial test results, and a possible pathway to field deployment of promising technology are also addressed. |
