| 摘要 |
Recovery of bitumen can include dewatering a water-saturated hydrocarbon-lean zone and producing hydrocarbons from an underlying bitumen-rich reservoir. The dewatering can include producing water via water production wells, and injecting non-condensable gas (NCG) via an injection well such that NCG is injected to re-pressurize the hydrocarbon-lean zone while avoiding substantial channeling of NCG toward the water production wells. After reaching a target water-saturation reduction in the lean zone and forming a gas-enriched zone, the water production wells can be converted to corresponding NCG injection wells to inhibit water migration into the gas-enriched zone. In situ wells, such as SAGD wells, located in the bitumen-rich reservoir below the gas-enriched zone can be operated to form a chamber, such as a steam chamber, and the gas-enriched zone is maintained at a pressure close to the underlying chamber pressure, providing overlying NCG insulation and pressurization for the chamber and hydrocarbon recovery operation. |
