Like the illusion of Wall Street, with its vast and powerful investment banks, now shuttered, China too is an illusion perpetuated by the Globalists that gave us the 15,000 mile Caesar salad, poisoned cat food and lead based paint on babies' pacifiers. Like the illusion that money would come from thin air to always push housing prices higher, China has spent a generation pursuing its illusion. Pursuing an unattainable dream to be like the West, while 6000 years of its carefully shepherded top soil blows into the sea.
Petrobank has initiated their air injection phase at Whitesands.
A quick review for those not up to speed:
THAI uses significantly less water and natural gas, significantly increases total oil recoverable, traps CO2 underground and partially upgrades the oil. A great example of EROEI for oil sands increasing, and helping the environment (at least vis-a-vis standard mining and SAGD operations.)
Quote:
PETROBANK FIRES UP WHITESANDS THAI'TM' PROJECT
Petrobank Energy & Resources Ltd. has completed the preignition heating cycle (PIHC) on the first well pair at the Whitesands project and commenced air injection on July 20, 2006.
During the PIHC phase, communication between the vertical injection well and the horizontal production well was established by injecting steam in the vertical well located at the toe of the horizontal well. This process developed an expanding hot mobile bitumen zone, and established fluid flow between the injection well and the horizontal production well. During this phase, steam was also circulated in the horizontal production well to aid in the PIHC and to enable high total fluid production rates from the horizontal well. During these operations, the horizontal production well achieved total production rates of up to 1,000 barrels of fluid per day, consisting primarily of condensed steam and formation water and up to a 15-per-cent oil cut of 11-degree API bitumen. By establishing communication between the two wells and introducing a large amount of heat energy into the reservoir to create the mobilized bitumen zone around the vertical well, conditions were determined to be appropriate for the initiation of air injection and to cause in situ combustion.
As the company commences air injection, temperature readings from thermocouples in observation wells near the vertical injection well and in the horizontal production well are expected to show an increase in temperature as the combustion front expands. A period of time will be required for the complete transition from the PIHC production phase into production via the Thai process. Produced fluid and gases will be continuously monitored, and wellbore and reservoir temperatures and pressures will be constantly measured in order to manage the rate at which air injection volumes are increased, the progression of the combustion zone and to optimize surface facilities operations. The company will begin the PIHC phase on the second of the three well pairs once combustion on the first well pair has stabilized.
The Thai process
Thai is an evolutionary in situ combustion technology for the recovery of bitumen and heavy oil that combines a vertical air injection well with a horizontal production well. Thai integrates existing proven technologies and provides the opportunity to create a step change in the development of heavy oil resources globally. During the process, a high-temperature combustion front is created underground where part of the oil in the reservoir is burned, generating heat, which reduces the viscosity of the remaining oil allowing it to flow by gravity to the horizontal production well. The combustion front sweeps the oil from the toe to the heel of the horizontal producing well, recovering up to an estimated 80 per cent of the original-oil-in-place while partially upgrading the crude oil in situ. Petrobank controls all intellectual property rights to the Thai process and related enhancements, including the patented Capri technology, which offers the potential for further in situ upgrading through the use of a wellbore integrated catalyst.
Thai has many potential benefits over other in situ recovery methods, such as SAGD (steam-assisted gravity drainage). These benefits include higher resource recovery, lower production and capital costs, minimal usage of natural gas and fresh water, a partially upgraded crude oil product, reduced diluent requirements for transportation, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The Thai process also has the potential to operate in lower-pressure, lower-quality, thinner and deeper reservoirs than current steam-based recovery processes.
Thai can also be applied to other heavy oil deposits and it is the company's strategy to initiate projects in mobile oil reservoirs in Canada and/or internationally. The ultimate goal is to capture a global portfolio of heavy oil resources where the application of the Thai technology can lead to greatly improved recovery rates and significant long-term value growth for the company. In support of this activity, Petrobank's subsidiary, Petrominerales Ltd. (TSX: PMG), is evaluating two large heavy oil technical evaluation areas in Colombia covering 1.1 million acres for the potential application of Thai.
_________________ Do not underestimate the difficulties of surviving the transition of peak oil, nor the dangers of global warming. We must embrace nuclear energy and renewables.
Thanks Father' I was curious about how the Thai trial was coming.
I also didn't realize there were so many reputed benefits to the process.
Do you have any idea about what the reality might be?
Not being intimately involved with the company, I can only offer my best guess. I think that the benefits are in no way overhyped: way less NG and water, C02 sequestration, upgrading and higher recoverability. The one thing I haven't heard much about is flow rates as compared with SAGD, but that's not to say they aren't as good or equal... I just haven't heard and they probably don't even know yet. And of course, this is still a pilot project, so it could fall flat on its face.
But I think the odds are good that it'll be a big success. Why? Follow the money, all you have to do is look at the stock price to see many are betting it's going to be a success and if it is a success, it'll go a long, long way to rectifying the oil sands (deserved) reputation of copious consumption of fossil fuels, water and high CO2 emissions.
There is no doubt that oil sands will be pursued to the nth degree in the coming years. Let's hope the cost savings of THAI are significant enough that companies adopt the technology en masse and thereby spare the environment too. _________________ Do not underestimate the difficulties of surviving the transition of peak oil, nor the dangers of global warming. We must embrace nuclear energy and renewables.
Air injection and combustion was initiated on the first of the three project wells on July 20, 2006, and we have been continually injecting air into the vertical well of this center well pair. During the first three weeks of air injection, in-situ combustion ignition was confirmed as we measured various indicators of the combustion reaction, including significantly rising temperatures in the reservoir zone, production of combustion gases and rising horizontal well bore temperatures. This trend continued through the third quarter with recorded reservoir temperatures reaching as high as 800 degrees Centigrade. Combustion gas analysis consistently demonstrated a high ratio of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide, indicating a very high level of conversion of oxygen, hydrocarbon gases indicative of thermocracking of oil in-situ, and free hydrogen generated from high temperature reactions, all indicators of efficient high temperature combustion. These data also suggest that we are upgrading the oil in-situ. We are very early in the process of building out the combustion front in the first THAI™ well pair and estimate that only approximately 7,000 m3 of the reservoir has been affected by combustion at the toe of the horizontal well, which is less than one percent to total reservoir volume expected to be affected by combustion over the life of each THAI™ well pair.
To reiterate, THAI provides:
- WAY less NG than existing oil sands extraction process (NG only needed for preignition process)
- WAY less water (minimal fresh water requirements)
- C02 sequestration (50 percent less greenhouse gas emissions)
- in place upgrading
- much higher recoverability (Estimated 70 - 80% recovery of oil in place) _________________ Do not underestimate the difficulties of surviving the transition of peak oil, nor the dangers of global warming. We must embrace nuclear energy and renewables.
Joined: Nov 11, 2004 Posts: 978 Location: Heart of Canada's Oil Country
Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2006 4:12 pm Post subject: Re: Oil Sands: Petrobank THAI technology update
Petrobank Energy ups recovery estimates at Whitesands
Canadian Press
CALGARY — Petrobank Energy and Resources Ltd. has raised its estimate for recoverable oil from its northern Alberta oil sands project by 23 per cent to as much as 658 million barrels.
The Calgary-based oil and gas producer said Wednesday its latest estimate reflects the latest five-well exploration drilling program on portions of its 62 sections of leases on the Whitesands oil sands development in northeastern Alberta.
Full article here _________________ Do not underestimate the difficulties of surviving the transition of peak oil, nor the dangers of global warming. We must embrace nuclear energy and renewables.
I see this company's shares have jumped about 50% since November. Symbol PBG on the TSX. Still looking hot. I heard Veronica Hersch on BNN give it a plug today. She thinks its good for the long haul.
Anybody else know anything further about the THAI technology?
Has anybody here anything further about prospects of this technology. Is it proving or disproving itself as a usefull extraction method _________________ Angry yet?
Joined: May 13, 2007 Posts: 655 Location: Athabasca, Alberta
Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 7:28 pm Post subject: Re: Oil Sands: Petrobank THAI technology update
I look at insitu in very simple terms, it takes about 1.5 to 2 BOE in Natural Gas to produce one barrel of synthetic crude using conventional steam recovery. Now to me Natural Gas a clean burning fuel is far more valuable then oil. So if we have reduced rates of production or burn 3 or even 4 BOE of bitumen to produce one barrel of insitu synthetic crude we are ahead of the game. I'm glad we have companies like Petrobank thinking outside the box.
"Every man is a smith who forges his own happiness"
"The company has encountered a fair amount of skepticism, not unusual in an industry that doesn't always embrace new technologies, said Chris Bloomer, Petrobank's vice-president of heavy oil. However, the success of the pilot project indicates THAI is a viable option for future oil sands projects, he said.
"This is a game-changing project; we proved it in the laboratory, but we needed to prove it in the field. We've done that; now we just have to optimize and enhance it."
While Petrobank is coy about just how much its three pairs of wells at Whitesands produce, output rates of as much as 1,000 barrels a day of crude appear to have been achieved. However, issues of large amounts of fine sand gathering at the extraction well have also been encountered.
The next step for Petrobank is to bring on three more pairs of wells, which will be further apart and will test out a potential enhancement to THAI, called CAPRI, in which a nickel-based catalyst is added to the well bore, potentially further increasing the amount of upgrading that happens in the reservoir to the extent that crude produced could flow down a pipeline. "We think THAI is effectively an in-situ coker, and we hope CAPRI could be an in-situ catalytic cracker," Mr. Bloomer said."
"The company has encountered a fair amount of skepticism, not unusual in an industry that doesn't always embrace new technologies, said Chris Bloomer, Petrobank's vice-president of heavy oil. However, the success of the pilot project indicates THAI is a viable option for future oil sands projects, he said.
"This is a game-changing project; we proved it in the laboratory, but we needed to prove it in the field. We've done that; now we just have to optimize and enhance it."
While Petrobank is coy about just how much its three pairs of wells at Whitesands produce, output rates of as much as 1,000 barrels a day of crude appear to have been achieved. However, issues of large amounts of fine sand gathering at the extraction well have also been encountered.
The next step for Petrobank is to bring on three more pairs of wells, which will be further apart and will test out a potential enhancement to THAI, called CAPRI, in which a nickel-based catalyst is added to the well bore, potentially further increasing the amount of upgrading that happens in the reservoir to the extent that crude produced could flow down a pipeline. "We think THAI is effectively an in-situ coker, and we hope CAPRI could be an in-situ catalytic cracker," Mr. Bloomer said."
Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:39 am Post subject: Re: Oil Sands: Petrobank THAI technology update
Today Petrobank (which I have a few shares of) jumped 4% on the open even though oil is currently down 1%
So decided to check out their news releases to see what's going on (Petrobank has been skyrocketing recently, but this jump was out of the ordinary even for them)
The acquisition of the Dawson Property and the licensing agreement with Duvernay is an important first step in Petrobank’s development plans for the commercialization of the THAI™ technology on a global basis. The Dawson Property and AMI cover an extensive heavy oil belt with a number of large existing conventional cold heavy oil production operations that typically recover only 6 to 10 percent of the original-oil-in-place. The application of the THAI™ process in these reservoirs has the potential to increase recoveries up to 70 to 80 percent.
Looks like they are moving out of Whitesands and bring THAI into mainstream production.
(btw, not trying to promote a stock here, just thought I'd keep everyone up to date about THAI) _________________ Angry yet?
Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 1:06 pm Post subject: Re: Oil Sands: Petrobank THAI technology update
I would be very surprised to see them attempt a largish commercial project in Alberta given the new royalties. THAI is pretty costly and like SAGD has suffered from rising sector costs. I suspect they are planning on implementing this technology in a bigger way in Latin America where they have considerable heavy oil holdings.
Joined: Mar 04, 2005 Posts: 2765 Location: New Zealand
Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 10:34 pm Post subject: Re: Oil Sands: Petrobank THAI technology update
Massive Canadian Oilfield Could Be Exploited Using New System
Quote:
Duvernay Petroleum is to use the revolutionary Toe-to-Heel Air Injection (THAI™) system developed at the University of Bath at its site at Peace River in Alberta, Canada.
Unlike conventional light oil, heavy oil is very viscous, like syrup, or even solid in its natural state underground, making it very difficult to extract. But heavy oil reserves that could keep the planet’s oil-dependent economy going for a hundred years lie beneath the surface in many countries, especially in Canada.
Duvernay Petroleum’s heavy oil field in Peace River contains 100 million barrels and this will be a first test of THAI™ on heavy oil, for which THAI™ was originally developed. Duvernay Petroleum has signed a contract with the Canadian firm Petrobank, which owns THAI™, to use the process.
The THAI™ process was first used by Petrobank at its Christina Lake site in the Athabasca Oil Sands, Canada, in June 2006 in a pilot operation which is currently producing 3,000 barrels of oil a day. This was on deposits of bitumen - similar to the surface coating of roads - rather than heavy oil.
Petrobank is applying for permission to expand this to 10,000 barrels a day though there is a potential for this to rise to 100,000.
The 50,000 acre site owned by Petrobank contains an estimated 2.6 billion barrels of bitumen. The Athabasca Oil Sands region is the single largest petroleum deposit on earth, bigger than that of Saudi Arabia.
sciencedaily _________________ Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe. H. G. Wells.
Fatih Birol's motto: leave oil before it leaves us.
Joined: Apr 28, 2005 Posts: 3918 Location: West shore Lake Eire, MI, USA
Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 3:11 pm Post subject: Re: Oil Sands: Petrobank THAI technology update
I spent several hours today hunting around without success so I am asking here. Does anyone know what percentage of tresevoirs world wide and in North America specifically are snadstone vs carbonate?
I have had no luck finding out what source rock makes up Cantarell but it occurs to me that if it is sandstone THAI might be an applicable technology to get another few hundred million barrels of oil out of the resevoir, especially as a Nitrogen flood was used so the top of the resevoir should be relatively speaking dry and easy to flame flood. _________________ Always appeal to a man's enlightened self interest, you can trust him to look out for himself honestly, It's when you appeal to his Honor or the Common Good that he stops paying attention.
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