About this workshop

Abstract

Heavy oil is a large energy resource with escalating production as the world's energy demand increases and oil companies look towards less conventional sources of oil. As technology continues to improve, the oil industry around the world is expanding their plans in this sector, and this once costly energy source is quickly becoming a more viable alternative to meet global demand.

With in-depth discussions and sharing of proven technologies, this workshop aims to address opportunities, challenges, options, solutions and experiences to develop heavy oil resources globally. There will be technical sessions on selecting the appropriate recovery options for development and on coping with associated technical, operational, economic and environmental challenges.

Workshop Focus and Objectives

The workshop agenda will focus on the following areas of discussion:

• Reservoir and heavy oil characterisation
• Thermal and non-thermal recovery processes – chemical EOR, steam-based processes and in-situ combustion
• Offshore development
• Reservoir modelling – challenges
• Reservoir geomechanics
• Monitoring and surveillance
• Productivity, transportation, separation and flow assurance
• Emerging technology

The objectives of this workshop will be to:

• Identify technical/economic challenges and opportunities in heavy oil development
• Review the latest technical advancements and discuss novel applications
• Share results from recent field case studies
• Network and exchange ideas with fellow participants from other companies and countries
• Discuss in-depth the problems/solutions and applications that could add value to their company and job

Who Should Attend

The workshop is intended for operating companies, services companies, academics and government representatives. Suggested attendees include engineers (reservoir, production, completions, subsea and operations), geologists, management, researchers and government policy makers.

Workshop Guidelines

Documentation

1. Proceedings will not be published; therefore, formal papers and handouts are not expected from speakers.
2. Work in progress, new ideas, and interesting projects are sought.
3. Professionally-prepared visual aids are not required; handwritten viewgraphs are entirely acceptable.
4. Note-taking by participants is encouraged. However, to ensure free and open discussions, no formal records will be kept.

Workshop Deliverables

• The committee will prepare a full report containing the highlights of the Workshop discussions. This report will be circulated to all attendees. A one-page summary will be prepared by the Workshop Co-Chairperson, which will be posted on the SPE Web Site, and published in the Journal of Petroleum Technology (JPT), if space permits. The copyright of the summary report will belong to SPE.
• PowerPoint presentation materials will be posted on a specific SPE URL address after the Workshop. Provision of the materials by the discussion leaders will signify their permission for SPE to do so.

Commercialism

In keeping with ATW objectives and the SPE mission, excessive commercialism in presentations will not be permitted. Company logos must be limited to the title slide and used only to indicate the affiliation of the presenter and others involved in the work.

Attendance Certificate

All attendees will receive an attendance certificate attesting to their participation at the Workshop. This certificate will be provided in exchange for a completed Workshop Questionnaire.

Continuing Education Units

This workshop qualifies for SPE Continuing Education Units (CEU) at the rate of 0.1 CEU per hour of the ATW.

Attendees’ Information

General and detailed accommodation information will be forwarded to registrants with the attendee package prior to the scheduled Workshop June 2012.

Dress Code

Casual clothing is recommended. The Workshop atmosphere is informal.

Transportation/Visa

Delegates are advised to book their international/domestic airline tickets early from their country/city to Xi’an, China. Further detailed transportation information will be available and included in the attendee package, which will be sent to registrants in June 2012.

Delegates travelling to China must be in possession of a passport valid for at least six (6) months on arrival, and must hold a visa issued by the appropriate Chinese officials prior to departure from your home country. Official invitations to apply for Chinese visas are available from the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). Please check with your travel agent or the China Embassy on regulations relating to visa before your departure.