Grant: Alliance Grants

Canada has the third largest oil reserves in the world. Surface mining and In situ extraction techniques such as steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) have been widely used by oil industry for bitumen extraction. Fouling is a major technical and environmental challenge in SAGD operations, as it reduces the efficiency of water treatment and recycle and increases overall costs for Canada's oil sands industry. This research proposal aims to address this challenge by characterizing the fouling phenomena, revealing the underlying interfacial interaction mechanisms and developing effective antifouling reagents. The research will systematically charaterize the various types of produced water and foulants from produced water coolers in SAGD operations, investigate the correlation between the chemical structures and functional groups of selected chemical reagents and their antifouling performance under simulated SAGD conditions. A field-representative laboratory protocol will be established to evaluate the antifouling performance of polymer antifoulants, and the effects of various parameters, such as water chemistry and hydrodynamic conditions, on fouling and antifouling processes will be investigated. The underlying interfacial interaction mechanisms governing fouling and antifouling phenomena will be studied using advanced nanomechanical techniques and methodologies, such as the surface forces apparatus (SFA), integrated thin film drainage apparatus (ITFDA), and colloidal/drop probe atomic force microscope. Based on the discovered mechanisms, more efficient antifouling chemical reagents will be developed, and their performance will be tested systematically. This proposed research aims to advance the development of more effective antifouling reagents and improved produced water treatment technologies, improving the fundamental understanding of the field. The proposed project has the potential to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of SAGD operations, and its findings have broader implications for other oil/chemical/mineral industrial applications.