An overview of 47 in situ combustion tube tests, that were performed at the University of Calgary using Athabasca Oil Sands as the core material and air as the injected oxidant, is presented in this study. These tests investigated a range of pressures, injected air fluxes, injected water to air ratios and core packing techniques in an effort to understand and optimize the process. This current study identifies trends common to the entire data set, rather than focussing on subsets of closely-related tests.

Highlights of the findings include: identification of a negative temperature gradient region between 350 and 450$\sp\circ$C, wherein stable combustion did not occur; a well-defined relationship between combustion temperature and levels of produced carbon dioxide; and a numerical correlation between the viscosity and asphaltenes content of the produced bitumen. The potential advantages of wet combustion were confirmed.

This study suggests that in situ combustion may be successfully applied to the Athabasca Oil Sands reservoir so long as sufficient bitumen mobility can be maintained.