Physical Modelling

​SRC offers sophisticated scaled 3-D physical modelling of complex recovery and displacement mechanisms involved in thermal-solvent vapour extraction (TSVX) processes.

Physical modelling helps industry better understand oil production rates and recovery mechanisms in TSVX processes. Reliable and detailed data is generated for numerical modelling to more accurately predict field performance, which is necessary to sufficiently reduce the risk of EOR technology deployment and optimization, allowing heavy oil and oilsands producers to consider commercial development.

SRC houses two state-of-the-art physical model laboratories to study a variety of solvent and thermal-based recovery processes. Experiments can be performed using different physical model sizes, vertical and/or horizontal well configurations, porous media, reservoir temperature and pressure conditions, as well as liquid and/or gas injection scenarios. The laboratories can accommodate models with reservoir thicknesses (2.5 meters) very similar to actual thin reservoirs present in Western Canada.

The physical models utilize thermal imaging methods to observe fluid flow, and are excavated, photographed and sampled to generate residual oil saturation maps.

Contact us today for your opportunity to use one of the largest and most sophisticated 3-D physical modelling systems available to evaluate EOR processes for your heavy oil and oil sands reservoirs.