RESERVOIR SIMULATION Prepared by Teknica 4 Teknica Petroleum Services Ltd. Suite 2500, 530 - 8th Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta T2P 3S8 April 2001Chapter 1 Overview 1. What is Reservoir Simulation? 2. Why Reservoir Simulation? 3. History and Development of Reservoir Simulation 4. Main Objective 5. What Can a Reservoir Model Answer? 6. Other Analysis Methods 7. Examples of Beneficial Applications 8. Types and Dimension of Models ‘vtehinde TeknicaWhat is Reservoir Simulation? The word "simulation" as defined by Webster means “to assume the appearance of without the reality". Simulation of petroleum reservoir performance refers to the construction and operation of a model whose behaviour assumes the appearance of actual reservoir behaviour. There are two types of models: physical models and mathematical models. Among the various types of mathematical models and tools for analyzing reservoir performance, computer reservoir simulation is the most complex and sophisticated. It is widely used and has become an integral part of reservoir engineering. TeknicaWhy Reservoir Simulation? - The only way to describe quantitatively multi-phase flow in a heterogeneous reservoir. - The only way to handle situations having a production schedule determined not only by the properties of the reservoir, but also by market demand, prices and government regulations. Se TeknicaHistory and Development of Reservoir Simulation - Reservoir Simulation started in late 1940's. - Development strongly influenced by the advances in computer and computer technology (1) mainframe—workstation PC (2) drastic reduction in computer time and cost (8) post processor, graphical display of simulation results - Becoming more user friendly and easier to use (keyword and free format input) - Can handle more complex problems atetindoe TeknicaMain Objective -To build a model of the reservoir and to examine its performance in terms of production and pressure. —To predict future performance -To find ways to increase ultimate recovery or to recover the hydrocarbons more economically (profitability).-. Methodology of Reservoir Simulation —The reservoir is ‘divided into a number of blocks (or grid blocks). —Basic geological and reservoir data is provided for each block. —Wells are positioned within the arrangement of blocks. —The target rate and well pressure are specified as a function of time. —The appropriate equations derived from the Darcy's Law are solved to give the pressure and saturations for each block as well as the production and injection for each well.What Can a Reservoir Model Answer? . How should the field be developed and produced in order to maximize the economic recovery of hydrocarbons? . What is the best enhanced recovery scheme for the reservoir? How and when should it be implemented? . What is the ultimate economic recovery for the field? (Reserves) . What type of laboratory data are required? What is the sensitivity to various data? . What are the critical parameters that should be measured in the field application of a recovery scheme? ‘atetindoe Teknica6. What is the best completion scheme for wells in a reservoir? 7. What portion of the reservoir is the production coming from? intend TeknicaOther Analysis Methods - Lab test (physical model) - Field pilot test - Well testing - Simple mathematical analysis 1. Buckley Leverett (waterflood) 2. Marx Langenheim (steam) - Extrapolation from performance of other pools (empirical) - Decline Curve - Material Balance wintetiedee TeknicaExamples of Beneficial Applications - Optimum well pattern. well spacing, completion intervals - Infill drilling - Conversion of producers to injections - Potential for horizontal wells, optimum well spacing offset from WOC and GOC - History matching to determine reservoir size, OOIP, barriers (faults) - Production forecast to justify the construction of facilities, (e.g. gas processing plant, battery, pipelines) - Economic evaluation for acquisition, divestiture or unitization - Feasibility of EOR schemes (gas injection, CO2 flood, steam injection etc.) ieaheietoe TeknicaTypes and Dimension of Models - Blackoil - Compositional - Thermal - Chemical flood - Dual porosity (fracture) - Gas model (gas gathering system) DIMENSIONS 1-D 2-D areal (xy, r@, curvilinear) 2-D cross-sectional (x Z) 2-D radial (r z) ‘virteindoe TeknicaUSE AND MISUSE OF RESERVOIR SIMULATION MODELS (K.H. Coats, SPE paper 2369) - Whereas the field can be produced only once at considerable expense, a model can be produced or "run" many times over at low expense and over a short period of time. - Reservoir simulation models are not perfect. They have the following sources of errors: 1. model itself is usually approximate since it involves certain assumptions. 2. replacement of the differential equations by finite- difference equations introduces truncation error. 3. round off error due to finite word length of the computer (negligible) and 4. — most importantly, true reservoir description are never fully known. - We should be less concerned with the absolute accuracy of the reservoir description than with the sensitivity of calculated results to these data.- Interest in accuracy of input data should be proportional to the sensitivity of computed results to these data. Example, a vast difference is gas relative permeability curve results in virtually no change in computed oil recovery, thus, the accuracy of the gas relative permeability data would not be important. - Effort should be concentrated in obtaining the data that have the greatest effect on calculated performance. - Misuse of reservoir models: 1. _ overkill, use of too complex a grid system (or too many grid blocks). Almost the same results can be obtained using a much simpler grid system or using half or one third of the number of grid blocks. 2. — oversimplification, the use of 2-D areal studies for a complex reservoir or complex flow pattern that requires a 3-D model.Problems 1.1 State your objectives or goals in this course. 1.2 Mention some other types of modelling (physical or mathematical) being used in oil and gas as well as other fields or industries. 1.3 Is reservoir simulation replacing the role of engineers? As better and more efficient computer reservoir models are being developed, will the need for good engineers diminish? teehee TeknicaChapter 2 MODELLING CONCEPTS 10. 11. Grid Blocks Time Steps Discretization (Finite-Difference) Mobility Weighting Numerical Dispersion Explicit, Implicit, Semi-Implicit Procedures Solution Methods Vertical Equilibrium Grid Orientation Effects History Matching and Forecast Sensitivity Study ‘vbebinde TeknicaGrid Blocks Fig. 2.1—A well-stirred tank analog of a simulator grid system. The above is a tank analog of a simulator grid system showing the mixing of the injected fluid and the fluid originally in the tanks. It is not a true representation of a 3-D reservoir. Fig 2.1 TeknicaGrid Blocks (Cont.) es | (a) ) © U} (9) Fig. 2.2—Typleal models used In reservolr simulation: (a) tank, (b) 1D, (c) 1D radial, (d) cross- sectional, (e) areal, (f) radial cross-sectional, and (g) 3D. TeknicaTwo-dimensional cross-section Vertical sweep, Gravity segregation, Perforation policy, Heterogeneity Two-dimensional areal Multi-well, Pressure maintenance, Vertical equilibrium, Small vertical variationsThree-dimensional Multi-well, Vertically heterogeneous, Thick reservoir sections, Layered system with Partial communication ra tg AS Eh 184 lesaDiscretization G LTT: g “y %0 asf 2 z o ° 1 4 (a) (b) Block Number Fig. 2.3—A four-gridblock watertlood model: (a) hypothetical reservoir and its water-saturation distribution at a certain time in the waterflood and (b) four-gridblock model and simulated water-saturation distribution. In each grid block, the saturation is assumed to be uniform throughout. TeknicaSingle Phase Flow- | Cprservaber~ off (Mass, VO) _ ae 200. Zt Cc Coe Eigen alo ( Daragé a) ve fsb 3. 2 Epuatlon of stele P-Pe peo ™ a ( Dfery Eguelir— -fer 3-D ae 2P 20. ge Bx By oer ayTaylor Senés Expansions G 2 i Plarax) = Pls) tAX Pls) +b ar?p'Ox) +Zaxp Gee Px -ax)= PO) Ax Por) +dax ploy — fan Pe). -- Fist Denvafive Forworel Diflrence BB. PUP 54d Bs Ax Backworol Drferonee ze PO -Pore) + ofr) ( Central. Dy ee By sublaeke Parad Foca 7 flr) - Second Derrntive. by ne) BPR _Perex)-2 Poy + fOren) + ofhes aXe AanSomme © OP a Pes-Pt ax AX pote eis as aX OF _ Ra-Poy Ox Zax Rnd devrclive OP _ Pierre Pet Fo ox Aan csDiscretization of Diffusivity Equation The 1-D diffusivity equation is written as Ke2p_ ap pe ax2 PS at ® Eq. (1) can be discretized and becomes n+l pn OP) -2Pi+Pi=j) - Pi) (2) where _K_At °* pep (Ax)2 (3) K is permeability p is fluid density c is compressibility w is fluid viscosity At is time step size Ax is grid block size ‘vitor TeknicaSeplert Fropudalien (ID) oes c— : Pe eS The , 0d >» —e nH Cold ) é-1 c el ee Contiak Difference (PH 2 Pre Pe HPL Lmpher Farmudelin. (-D) © (pyres ee General weighiad avenge + inalicer Bolen, art Os + CONE Pe Peal Y= REP a 0<@s | i 6=0 , bnphert b= 4% ) Crane -Nrabalsere b= 1, Gxpheit”The left hand side of Eq. (2) may be evaluated at time tM (at the beginning of the time step) or at time tnt+1 = tN+At (at the end of the time step). If the left hand side of Eq. (2) is evaluated at tf, it is called the explicit formulation as all the P's are known at tN. If the left hand side of Eq. (2) is evaluated at t+, it is referred to as the implicit formulation as all the P's are not known at tn+1. vvatetindoe TeknicaMobility Weighting - Upstream weighting - Downstream weighting (not recommended) - Mixed weighting - Extrapolation or Interpolation Methods (2 point upstream) - The upstream weighting is used most often and the 2 point upstream can reduce grid orientation effect TeknicaMobility ile oh “y eae C if to aed __khA R-B b..° Hit f& § ASP a. —EKeA Mm AX |). UpsTrea— waygeing FAL Pe Pee) 2, Downsirem— weaghting _ Ae Roe Per Pear) 3. MixeR Weil ing ge[wacr (i Ara [CPe-Port ) w: weighty feel We | 7 Uptlecam eight Woo, Dewnshean wepExtirepolalion Mathes (2 pomt- Cpsirea— ) Gon = fut SH, 2% tek “ Knew = Kye t Keo~ Kren y, 4X¢ uK vi * ~ Loe tax z z - Poe eee = ent Bxet awe) tok. +(Kearkviz). ay t= Kron Cas cohVertical Equilibrium Reservoir Segment Simulator Gridblock Depth Single vatue of water saturation equal to volumetric average of curve on left Water Saturation Water Saturation (a) (b) Fig. 2.6—Vertical saturation distribution in a reservoir seg- ment is modeled as a single value in a gridblock. Fig. 2.6 TeknicaVertical Equilibrium (Cont.) In the fully dispersed mode, the oil, water and gas saturation are assumed to be well mixed in the grid block, i.e., they are uniform. The vertical equilibrium (VE) assumption holds for a thick reservoir with: (i) good vertical permeability and (ii) substantial fluid density differences. Under VE, the gas, oil and water will be segregated (i.e. separated) ‘nated TeknicaGrid Orientation Effects Fig. 2.4—Flow paths for parallel and diagonal flow in a rec- tangular grid system. ‘oaths TeknicaGrid Orientation Effects Fig, 5.17—Exaimple of (a) parallel and (b) diagonal grid orien- tations. va TeknicaGrid Orientation Effects (a) E | {A PS x f () * Fig. 5.20—Symbolic illustration of (a) five-point and (b) nine- point formulations of flow equations. nie TeknicaGrid Orientation Effects (Cont.) Grid orientation effect is a phenomena that fluid flows parallel to the grid and diagonal to the grid behave differently even though the distances between the injector and producer are the same. (See figs. 2.4 and 5.17). Although the use of smaller grid blocks can reduce truncation errors (or spatial dispersion), it can not eliminate grid orientation effects. So far, the only satisfactory method to reduce grid orientation effect is to use a 9-point approximation as shown in Fig. 5.20 inane TeknicaHistory Match and Forecast - Use simplest possible model - Use most reasonable input data - Be sensitive to critical parameters that affect the results most - Automatic history matching ivan doe TeknicaSensitivity Study The purpose of sensitivity study is to determine the effects of certain parameters on the performance of a project. Obviously, some parameters have significant effects and others have very little effects. The senstivity study is important especially when the exact reservoir properties are not fully known. rata doe TeknicaProblems 2.1 222 Discretize the following PDE (partial differential equation) at grid block i and express the results using both forward and backward difference. of _ 1 of Ox CC Ot Discretize the following 2- dimensional diffusivity equation at grid block (i,j) Re LE Oe Chi + = ax" ay? K ia at TeknicaProblem 2.3 A Well-Stirred Tank Model ig, 2.4—A well-tiered tank enelog of «simulator grid eyster. Given six tanks as shown above and each tank has a volume of 100 cc. Intially tank 1 is filled with water and all the other tanks are filled with oil. From a water source, water is flowing into tank 1 at a constant flow rate of 10cc/sec. Assume that the water and oil are well- mixed in each tank. They have the same viscosity and flow "equally easily". Determine the volume fraction atetadoe Teknica(saturation) of water in each tank at various times. Hint: Formulate the problem using conservation of volume. Write a computer program to calculate the volume fraction of water at various times using 1,5,10, and 20 sec time steps. ete tee TeknicaProblem 2.4 Discretize the 1-dimensional Diffusivity Equation as shown: a oP 4, oP ox ot with the following initial and boundary conditions: Initial Conditions: P(x,0) = 10 for all x Boundary Conditions: P (1,t) = 60 P (6,t) = 10 for allt >0 Write a computer program to determine P at various times. Examine the results using 2, 5, 10, and 20 sec time steps. ‘vated TeknicaChapter 3 Steps in Preparing a Model Study 1. Model Design Check List 2. Preliminary Design 3. Data Collection and Input Data Preparation 4. Conducting the Model Study 5. Other Considerations ‘vain TeknicaModel Design Checklist - Define the objectives of the study (i.e. problem to be solved) - Are data available? Reservoir/geological data Production/pressure data Fluid properties Rock properties Relative permeability data Well data - Any previous reservoir study done? - Quality of answers, time and fund available viatetidee TeknicaPreliminary Design Based on limited available information, select (or determine) the following: - Dimension of model - Grid system and approximate number of grid blocks - Number of components (based on fluid properties) - Type of model - What model is available? - Estimating time and fund required - Obtaining approval from management and partners ‘vvatetidoc TeknicaData Collection and Input Data Preparation - Collect reservoir/geological/production data - Manipulate production data (unit, rate, watercuts, gas-oil ratio, cumulative recovery and recovery factor) - Prepare input data for modelling study (may need contouring and digitizing of maps) - Collect fluid, rock and relative permeability data and prepare input data - Collect well data and prepare input data for reservoir model study ‘vivatetindoe TeknicaConducting the Model Study - Always start with the simplest possible model - First run the model for a few time steps then proceed to longer runs - Use restart option to save computer time whenever feasible - Be sensitive to the critical parameters which affect the results most - Use engineering judgement on the reasonableness of input data used - Keep a good communication with others involving in the same project vate aoe TeknicaOther Consideration 2-D vs 3-D - 3-D is used when the reservoir is too complex to reduce to a 2-D areal or 2-D cross-sectional model - Reservoir is thick and has significant variations in reservoir properties in the 3rd dimension - Significant vertical flow (water or gas coning or gravity draining) Use of Pseudo Functions - for reducing 3-D problems to 2-D problems - Pseudo relative permeability and capillary pressure functions - VE pesudofunctions ivabeindee Teknica