Economic Evaluation of CO2-using Steam and Gas Push for Eco-friendly Oil Sands Production

The feasibility of CO 2 -using steam and gas push (SAGP) was evaluated via numerical simulation considering carbon tax policies.The cumulative steam-oil ratio (cSOR) of steam-assisted gravity drainage was 4.90 due to the loss of heat to the overburden rock.In contrast, the cSOR of the SAGP (CO 2 0.5 mol%) was lower (2.27) because the SAGP formed a low-thermal-conductivity, noncondensable gas layer at the top of the steam chamber.The economics of the SAGP were analyzed based on the net present value (NPV), incorporating carbon tax scenario in Alberta, Canada.The results indicated that the carbon emission intensity and NPV of SAGP were 27.5% (0.37 tonCO 2 eq/m 3 ) lower and 74.2% higher ($32.46MM), respectively, than those of steam-assisted gravity drainage.CO 2 -based SAGP is a sustainable alternative that can provide economic and environmental benefits in the context of increasingly stringent carbon regulations.