A recent paper by Lin et al. published in ‘Energy Reports’ reviews laboratory experiments on Steam & Flue Gas co-injection (aka Multi-component Thermal Fluid (MCTF)) in heavy oil recovery.
It concludes that “the size of the heating chamber after Multi-Component Thermal Fluid MCTF [Steam & Flue Gas] injection was 4 times larger than that after steam injection“!
This is of particular benefit in reservoirs where the oil only needs to be heated several degrees (°C) to significantly improve mobilization, which is characteristic of conventional heavy oil plays in Canada (i.e. Clearwater, Wabiskaw, Mannville Stack and Bluesky).
Heating up a large reservoir volume is one of the main reasons why Steam & Flue Gas can double oil recovery above primary production in under-exploited, high-potential heavy oil wells!
Link to the full paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235248472500071X