Liquid addition to steam for enhancing recovery (LASER) of bitumen with CSS:: Results from the first pilot cycle

Research aspects for the Liquid Addition to Steam for Enhancing Recovery (LASER) process were described in a previous paper((1)). The research concept has since been field-tested for a single cycle at a pad at Imperial Oil's CSS (Cyclic Steam Stimulation) operation at Cold Lake. The pilot entailed the addition of a small 6% volume fraction of C5+ condensate (diluent) into eight wells during CSS Cycle 7. The key pilot objectives were to assess: 1) the increase in oil-steam ratio (OSR) over CSS; and, 2) the level of diluent recovery. The overall performance of the pilot to date has been encouraging. The diluent recovered is estimated to exceed original expectations and is similar in composition to the injected diluent. The increase in OSR was consistent with original expectations. Suites of monitoring instrumentation and analytical methods were developed to allow quantification of the recovery of injected diluent. In addition, multivariate analysis (MVA) statistical methods were used to develop a model of CSS process performance. This model reduced the statistical background performance 'noise' associated with normal base CSS operations and allowed an improved analysis of the OSR increase in the pilot to be made.