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Article: Researchers from University of Calgary detail new studies and findings in the area of oil and gas research.
- Article from:
- Energy Weekly News
- Article date:
- September 4, 2009
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"VAPEX (vapour extraction) is a promising technique for the recovery of heavy oil and bitumen reservoirs, especially for cases where steam-assisted gravity drainage and other thermal recovery methods are not economical. In the VAPEX process, a solvent is injected into the reservoir to reduce the oil viscosity and mobilize it towards the production well," researchers in Calgary, Canada report.
"CO2-based VAPEX is an attractive option from both economic and environmental perspectives. In CO2-based VAPEX, unlike other hydrocarbon solvents, dissolution of CO2 into the oil can result in a density increase of the diluted oil. As a consequence, the diluted oil has a ...