Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) has become a widely adopted recovery method of choice used in heavy oil and bitumen extraction to access heavy crude which is buried too deep or found in hard to access locations. This thermal recovery technique is used in regions with significant heavy oil and bitumen resources, such as Alberta’s oil sands in Canada.
The process involves the injection of high-pressure steam into reservoirs to reduce the viscosity of hydrocarbons and involves the injection of high-pressure steam into the reservoir through a horizontal wellbore, which heats and mobilizes the heavy oil or bitumen. The heated oil then drains by gravity to a parallel production well located below the injection well, where it is pumped to the surface for processing.