Application of Pressure Transmitter in Thick Oil Thermal Recovery

About 70% of the world's remaining oil resources are tight oil. Compared with conventional light crudes, the heavy oils are highly viscous, dense, illiquid, and temperature-sensitive. Therefore, it is difficult to effectively develop heavy oil using ordinary methods. Since the properties of heavy oil and conventional crude oil are very different, their oil recovery processes are also very different. The key to extracting thick oil is to improve its flow capacity in the oil reservoir, wellbore, and gathering pipeline. Tight oil reservoirs are generally extracted thermally, usually using steam throughput and steam-driven techniques to increase the temperature of the underlying crude oil and reduce the viscosity of the highly viscous crude oil at the bottom of the well, thereby increasing the crude oil recovery rate. With the development of thermal extraction technology, the scale of extraction is gradually expanding, the output is growing, and thick oil thermal extraction has occupied a more important position in the oil industry.

The high temperature of thick oil thermal recovery steam can be up to 400 ℃, and the pressure can be up to 20MPa. So for high temperature, high-pressure steam measurement, it is needly to set the pressure indicator transmitter for pressure measurement. Due to the high working pressure and temperature of steam, it is recommended to use the following two industrial pressure transmitter selection options:

1. Selection of flange diaphragm seal pressure transmitter with capillary.

Due to the viscosity of thick oil, to prevent the highly viscous medium from clogging the detection element, it is necessary to increase the contact area of the detection element, thus reducing the risk of clogging. Flange diaphragm seal pressure transducer sensor can measure the pressure of liquids or gases with strong corrosion, high viscosity, and easy to crystallize the medium. It is also possible to install a flushing ring at the connection of the flange pressure transducer sensor. When the medium adheres to the diaphragm, the diaphragm can be flushed with fresh water through the flushing port to improve the accuracy and service life of the industrial pressure transmitter.

Since the steam temperature is up to 400℃ and the working temperature can be up to 350℃, the capillary filling silicone oil needs to choose high-temperature resistant silicone oil to prevent high-temperature steam from damaging the pressure indicator transmitter.

2. A conventional pressure indicator transmitter is selected, which needs to be remotely mounted and equipped with a condensation tank.

To ensure the operation of the industrial pressure transmitter under high temperatures and high-pressure steam, it is generally necessary to install the pressure transducer sensor remotely. At the same time, it is necessary to install a condensate tank as a device to ensure the balance and stability of the condensate level.

In the process of thick oil thermal recovery, Auto can provide a variety of corresponding intelligent measuring instruments according to the working conditions, such as smart pressure transducer sensor, liquid level transmitter, temperature transmitter, flowmeter, and so on. Different measuring instruments can record, monitor, and control the parameter information in the production process at different monitoring and control points.

The value of Auto's process measurement solutions:

In the thick oil thermal recovery, due to the medium viscosity>6000 cP, to prevent the highly viscous medium from clogging the detection element, it is necessary to increase the contact area of the detection element to reduce the risk of clogging. In this project, The flanged diaphragm seal industrial pressure transmitter is a good choice.

When the medium temperature is higher than 120 ℃, the viscosity of the medium ≥ 500 cP, it is necessary to use the flange diaphragm capillary pressure indicator transmitter, while the capillary tube filled with silicone oil needs to meet the temperature of the process medium.

In summary, the selection and installation of pressure transducer sensors need to be combined with the actual process conditions the physical characteristics of the measured medium, and other factors. Although the structure of the pressure indicator transmitter is simple, the technology is mature, but only combined with the actual working conditions, optimize the selection and installation to ensure the good use of the instrument.

Auto Instrument has a professional pre-sales and after-sales technical team to analyze in detail the selection and installation of intelligent pressure transducers according to the characteristics of each medium in the thermal recovery of thick oil. Auto has a wide range of industrial pressure transmitters suitable for different working conditions, which can meet the needs of pressure monitoring and measurement in special working conditions.