Gas injection, the fastest growing tertiary oil recovery technique, holds the promise of significant recoveries from those depleted oil reservoirs around the world which fall into a pressure range of (50-200) bar mainly. However, its application with the usual techniques is restricted by the need for various surface facilities such as enormous gas supply and storage. The only surface facility that downhole gasification of hydrocarbons (DHG) requires, on the other hand, is a portable electricity generator. DHG consists in producing inert gases, H2, CO, CO2 and CH4 through the steam reforming reaction of a part of the produced oil in a gasifier-reformer reactor positioned alongside the producer well in the reservoir. The gases, mainly H2 -the most effective displacing gas among produced gases- are injected into a gas cap above the oil formation, to increase oil recovery through a gas displacement drive mechanism. So far, DHG has only been tested under laboratory conditions using methane, pentane/reservoir gas and naphtha/reservoir gas as feedstock at conditions of reservoir pressure up to 130 bar. The studies varied reaction temperature, steam to carbon (S/C) ratio, catalyst types and catalyst loading in the gasifier-reformer reactor of a small pilot scale rig. These experimental studies demonstrated that pressure is one of the main factors influencing the effectiveness of the DHG process. From this starting point, the present investigation was directed at extending the pressure range up to 160 bar in the gasifier-reformer reactor using a naphtha fraction as feedstock in order to investigate whether the conversion and H2 concentration in produced dry gas can be maintained at acceptable levels under conditions of high pressure. To this end, experimental studies were carried out within the laboratory using the existing DHG rig on the small pilot scale, which was successfully commissioned and revamped for the purposes of this study. Initially, the investigation focused on exploring operating conditions, namely, steam to carbon (S/C) ratio, length of the gasifier-reformer reactor tube/ catalyst loading and the relative performance of two different catalysts. Subsequently, experiments on shutdown/start up cycles followed by variation of temperature were performed to simulate the effect of sudden electrical disruptions that usually occur in field operations. Experimental results using naphtha at pressure from 80 to 160 bar at 650 ºC, S/C= 6 achieved total feedstock conversion, no coke deposits and, most importantly, high H2 concentration in the produced dry gas (56-63 vol. % plus other gases). The best result was obtained with a crushed HiFUEL R110 catalyst (40-60 wt. % of NiO/CaO.Al2O3) and a reactor tube length of 72 cm, but the results with a C11-PR catalyst (40 wt. % of NiO/MgO.Al2O3) and a reactor tube length of 30 cm were similarly favourable. These results were supported by results of a numerical DHG model which indicated total feedstock conversion and values of H2 around 67 vol. % (using n-heptane as model surrogate). The results suggest that the DHG process is technically feasible at the pressure values studied, perhaps up to 200 bar where there are many hundreds of depleted, light oil reservoirs, especially in North America and other parts of the world below that pressure value.

To meet the goal of atmospheric stabilization of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) levels a technological transformation should occur in the energy sector. One strategy to achieve this is carbon sequestration. Carbon dioxide can be captured from industrial sources and sequestered underground into depleted oil and gas reservoirs. CO2 injected into geological formations, such as mature oil reservoirs can be effectively trapped by hydrodynamical (structural), solution, residual (capillary) and mineral trapping methods. In this work, a case study was conducted using CMG-STARS software for CO2 sequestration in a mature oil field. History matching was done with the available production, bottom hole pressures and water cut data to compare the results obtained from the simulator with the field data. Next, previously developed optimization methods were modified and used for the case of study. The main object of the optimization was to determine the optimal location, number of injection wells, injection rate, injection depth and pressure of wells to maximize the total trapped amount of CO2 while enhancing the amount of oil recovered. A second round of simulations was carried out to study the factors that affect the total oil recovery and CO2 &not / storage amount. These include relative permeability end points effect, hysteresis effect, fracture spacing and additives of simultaneous injection of carbon dioxide with CO and H2S. Optimization runs were carried out on a mildly heterogeneous 3D model for variety of cases. When compared with the base case, the optimized case led to an increase of 20% in the amount of oil that is recovered / and more than 95% of the injected CO2 was trapped as solution gas on and as an immobile gas. Finally, an investigation of the economical feasibility was accomplished. NPV values for various cases were obtained, selected and studied yielding in a number of cases that are found to be applicable for the field of concern.

In South Central Cut Bank Sand Unit (SCCBSU) of Cut Bank field, primary production and waterflood projects have resulted in recovery of only 29 % of the original oil in place from heterogeneous, fluvial sandstone deposits. Using highresolution sequence stratigraphy and geostatistical analysis, I developed a geologic model that may improve the ultimate recovery of oil from this field. In this study, I assessed sequence stratigraphic concepts for continental settings and extended the techniques to analyze low-accommodation alluvial systems of the Cut Bank and Sunburst members of the lower Kootenai formation (Cretaceous) in Cut Bank field. Identification and delineation of five sequences and their bounding surfaces led to a better understanding of the reservoir distribution and variability. Recognition of stacking patterns allowed for the prediction of reservoir rock quality. Within each systems tract, the best quality reservoir rocks are strongly concentrated in the lowstand systems tract. Erosional events associated with falling baselevel resulted in stacked, communicated (multistory) reservoirs. The lowermost Cut Bank sandstone has the highest reservoir quality and is a braided stream parasequence. Average net-to-gross ratio value (0.6) is greater than in other reservoir intervals. Little additional stratigraphically untapped oil is expected in the lowermost Cut Bank sandstone. Over most of the SCCBSU, the Sunburst and the upper Cut Bank strata are valley-fill complexes with interfluves that may laterally compartmentalize reservoir sands. Basal Sunburst sand (Sunburst 1, average net-to-gross ratio ~0.3) has better reservoir quality than other Sunburst or upper Cut Bank sands, but its reservoir quality is significantly less than that of lower Cut Bank sand. Geostatistical analysis provided equiprobable representations of the heterogeneity of reservoirs. Simulated reservoir geometries resulted in an improved description of reservoir distribution and connectivity, as well as occurrences of flow barriers. The models resulting from this study can be used to improve reservoir management and well placement and to predict reservoir performance in Cut Bank field. The technical approaches and tools from this study can be used to improve descriptions of other oil and gas reservoirs in similar depositional systems.