Oil Sands
In-situ Bitumen
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Cyclic steam stimulation is one of the processes that is used when oil sands bitumen is buried too deep for surface mining. In this method, as illustrated at right, high-pressure steam is injected into the oil sands formation for several weeks. The |
Most of the current in-situ projects, particularly in the Athabasca oil sands area, use steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). In this method, as illustrated below, pairs of horizontal wells, one above the other, are drilled into an oil sands formation and steam is injected into the upper well. As the steam heats the formation, the bitumen softens and drains into the lower well where it is then pumped to the surface. |
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