The Vapor Extraction Process: Review

The high viscosity of Canadian crude oil is a serious challenge for the recovery efficiency of this resource by conventional methods. Since 1991, the vapor extraction process (VAPEX) has emerged as a promising technology that has gained considerable attention within the oil industry. This article presents a current review of this process and its variations, as well as describing important factors affecting the process such as solvent requirements, mass transfer, asphaltene precipitation, oil rate, and wettability. Recent research has shown that VAPEX is an efficient alternative for the recovery of heavy oil.