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Optimizing steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) performance in oil sands reservoirs relies on the quality of steam allocation decisions made across the well inventory. With finite facility steam generation capacity, SAGD producers are typically challenged with identifying the true opportunity cost of allocating steam volumes based on well performance. This paper presents a novel technique to inform steam allocation decisions and managing SAGD reservoir pressures in service of optimizing production and consequently improving the economic performance of the asset through smarter SAGD field development planning.

The concept of marginal steam-oil-ratio (mSOR) is introduced as a method of guiding steam allocation decisions. Marginal SOR is defined as the cold-water equivalent volume of steam required to produce the next marginal barrel of bitumen from the production system in a steam …