Authors: Matthew Miersma
One of the main methods of extracting oil from deep oil sands deposits is through the use of steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). For the best performance, inflow control devices (ICDs) are implemented along the SAGD production well to even out production and restrict unwanted fluids. Current methods of evaluating these devices rely on criteria that are dependent on the flow rate and fluid properties at which they are measured. In this study, three new criteria are proposed to evaluate and compare ICDs. These new criteria are derived from the physics of the flow in order to tie them to specific aspects of the flow and to have a reduced dependence on the flow rate and fluid properties. To further reduce the dependence of the criteria, they are calculated from a range of data, using a least squares fit. In order to evaluate the proposed criteria, detailed CFD models are developed for six fundamental ICD designs: a 15◦ nozzle, a 40◦ nozzle, a long channel, an expanding nozzle, a device based on Tesla’s fluidic diode, and a vortex based device. The CFD models are carefully tested to ensure they accurately model the flow. Using these simulations, the three criteria are calculated for each device. The criteria are then compared to the flow results and examined for flow and viscosity independence. Finally, the criteria are used to compare the six ICDs and identify the best design. The new criteria are not only better than existing criteria for comparing ICDs, but they are also specially adapted to support design development and optimization of new devices.
