Enhanced Recovery Methods for Heavy Oil and Tar Sands

Recent price increases continue to stress the need for alternative resources. With conventional production steadily declining, advances in enhanced recovery will be required so that more drillers can extend their oil production and make reserves last longer. Thanks to significant drilling technology breakthroughs, wells are digging deeper for more unconventional resources, in particular heavy oil. A practical guide on heavy oil-related recovery methods is essential for drillers and producers alike. To feed this demand, James Speight, a well-respected professor and author, provides a must-read for drillers, domestic and abroad, that are involved in production enhancement. Covering the spectrum, Speight explains the current methods of recovery for heavy oil and tar sand bitumen technology, broken down by thermal and non-thermal methods. He provides complete coverage on important topics such as geology and origin of heavy oil, heavy oil properties, introductory methods on primary, secondary and tertiary method recovery and how-to upgrade and process heavy oil. Rounded out with a glossary of key terminology, any engineer and oil personnel that works with heavy oil and tar sand bitumen will greatly benefit from this much-needed text.