Reservoir Simulation

(PT414)
Instructor: Joven John R. Cayao
Overview of the
Modeling Process
Basic Reservoir Analysis
Reservoir characterization and reservoir engineering evaluations are
usually performed as a part of standard business practice independent
of a reservoir simulation study
Prerequisites of Model Study
• Existence of a problem of economic importance
• Modeler / modeling team should gather all available data and reports
relating to the field
• Evaluation of the feasibility of using simpler techniques
4 Interacting Reservoir Management
Models
• Reservoir Model
• Well Model
• Wellbore Model
• Surface Model
Essential elements of a simulation
study
• matching field history
• making predictions, including a forecast based on the
existing operating strategy
• evaluating alternative operating scenarios
Conceptual Reservoir
Scales
 Reservoir Sampling and Scales
• Giga Scale - information associated
with geophysical techniques
• Mega Scale - scale of reservoir
characterization and includes well
logging, well testing, and 3D seismic
analysis
• Macro Scale - focuses on data
sampling at the level of core analysis
and fluid property analysis
• Micro Scale - includes pore scale data
obtained from techniques such as thin
section analysis and measurements of
grain-size distribution
Integrating Scales
• All of the information collected at various scales must be
integrated into a single, comprehensive, and consistent
representation of the reservoir.
• The integration of data obtained at different scales is a
difficult issue that is often referred to as the "scale-up"
problem
Flow Unit
• a volume of rock subdivided according to geological and
petrophysical properties that influence the flow of fluids
through it
Representative Elementary Volumes
• a REV concept is not the same as the flow unit concept
• smallest volume over which a measurement can be made that
will yield a value representative of the whole
• the volume element that is large enough to provide
statistically significant average values of parameters
describing flow in the contained volume, but small enough to
provide a meaningful numerical approximation of the
fundamental flow equations
Identifying Flow Unit
Initial Stage of Reservoir
Characterization
• Begins with the gathering of data at control points such as
wells
• Data gathered will be contoured and digitized
• Spatial distribution of reservoir parameters (geostatistics and
reservoir geophysics)
Advantages and Concerns Associated
with Geostatistics
realism
quantifies uncertainties
Reservoir Structure
Giga Scale
• Defines reservoir architecture
• Most information from this scale came from seismic
measurements
 Seismic analysis is used to establish the structural size of the
reservoir
Seismic Waves
• vibrations that propagate from a source, such as an explosion,
through the earth until they encounter a reflecting surface and
are reflected into a detector, such as a geophone
Acoustic Impedance
• fundamental seismic parameter
• Z= ρV, where ρ is the bulk density of the medium and V is the
compressional velocity of the wave in the medium
Reflection Coefficient
• A change in acoustic impedance will cause a reflection of the
sound wave.
• The ability to reflect a sound wave by a change in acoustic
impedance is quantified in terms of the reflection coefficient.
Acoustic Impedance
• product of density and seismic velocity, which varies among
different rock layers, commonly symbolized by Z.
• The difference in acoustic impedance between rock layers
affects the reflection coefficient.
• The reflection coefficient R at the interface between two
contiguous layers is defined in terms of acoustic impedances as
Typical Values of Reflection Coefficient

Values of reflection coefficients at the sandstone/limestone interface show that

reflection coefficient values can be relatively small. In addition to reflection coefficient,
a transmission coefficient can be defined. The transmission coefficient is one minus
the reflection coefficient
Acoustic Impedance
Sonic logs are typically used to calibrate seismic
data when seismic data is used in reservoir
characterization
Two Approaches to Contouring a Set
of Values at Control Points

Preferred by mappers More heterogeneous contouring style

Mega Scale
• scale at which we begin to
integrate well log and well test
data into a working model of
the reservoir
Information that can be obtained at the
Mega Scale level from well test data
Reservoir Geophysics
• has the potential to image important reservoir parameters in
regions between wells
• used to correlate seismic data with reservoir properties
• predict reservoir properties of two wells
Correlation Pairs of Seismic Data
and Reservoir Properties
Next Topic: Fluid
Properties and Rock-
Fluid Interaction