Amine Ifticene
Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University, Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering
"Cyclic air-steam injection (CASI) is emerging as a promising method for producing hydrogen directly from heavy oil and bitumen reservoirs, offering a potentially low-cost and low-emission alternative to conventional hydrogen production technologies. In this study, a Lloydminster heavy oil reservoir model was developed in CMG STARS to simulate in-situ hydrogen production using CASI. The process involved alternating air and steam injections in cycles over a 20-year operational period. To optimize key engineering parameters, a sub-model optimization was performed using a differential evolution algorithm, and the optimal injection parameters were subsequently scaled up for field-scale simulations. A techno-economic analysis (TEA) was also conducted to estimate hydrogen production costs and carbon emissions. Optimization results revealed significant variability in cumulative hydrogen production across different parameter sets, underscoring the sensitivity of hydrogen yield to engineering design and the necessity of precise process control. At the field scale, the simulation predicted a cumulative hydrogen production of approximately 7,000 metric tonnes over 20 years. The TEA estimated a hydrogen production cost of $2.32/kg H2, with a carbon emission intensity of only 1.62 kg CO2/kg H2—both lower than conventional steam methane reforming (SMR) combined with carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). These findings highlight CASI as a viable and economical alternative for hydrogen production, offering both reduced carbon emissions and competitive costs. This research provides a strong foundation for advancing CASI as a clean and cost-effective in-situ hydrogen production method, paving the way for future development and field implementation in heavy oil and bitumen reservoirs."