Upscaling of Geocellular Models for

Flow Simulation

Louis J. Durlofsky

Department of Petroleum Engineering, Stanford University

ChevronTexaco ETC, San Ramon, CA

Acknowledgments
Yuguang Chen (Stanford University)
Mathieu Prevost (now at Total)
Xian-Huan Wen (ChevronTexaco)
Yalchin Efendiev (Texas A&M)

(photo by Eric 2
Flodin)

Outline
Issues and existing techniques
Adaptive local-global upscaling
Velocity reconstruction and multiscale solution
Generalized convection-diffusion transport model
Upscaling and flow-based grids (3D unstructured)
Outstanding issues and summary

Requirements/Challenges for Upscaling

Accuracy & Robustness
Retain geological realism in flow simulation
Valid for different types of reservoir heterogeneity
Applicable for varying flow scenarios (well conditions)

Efficiency

Injector

Producer

Producer

Injector

Existing Upscaling Techniques

Single-phase upscaling: flow (Q /p)
Local and global techniques (k k* or T *)

Multiphase upscaling: transport (oil cut)

Pseudo relative permeability model (krj krj*)

Multiscale modeling
Upscaling of flow (pressure equation)
Fine scale solution of transport (saturation equation)

Local Upscaling to Calculate k*

or

Local

Extended Local

Solve (kp)=0 over local region

for coarse scale k * or T

Global domain

Local BCs assumed: constant pressure difference

Insufficient for capturing large-scale connectivity in

highly heterogeneous reservoirs
6

A New Approach
Standard local upscaling methods unsuitable for
highly heterogeneous reservoirs
Global upscaling methods exist, but require global
fine scale solutions (single-phase) and optimization
Adaptive Local-Global Upscaling
New approach uses global coarse scale solutions to
determine appropriate boundary conditions for local
k* or T * calculations
Efficiently captures effects of large scale flow
Avoids global fine scale simulation
7

Adaptive Local-Global Upscaling (ALG)

Well-driven global coarse flow
y

Local fine scale calculation

Coarse pressure
Interpolated pressure
gives local
LocalBCs
BCs

Coarse scale properties

k* or T * and upscaled well index

Thresholding: Local calculations only in high-flow

regions (computational efficiency)
8

Thresholding in ALG
Regions for
Local calculations

Permeability

Streamlines

Coarse blocks

|q c|
Identify high-flow region,
> ( 0.1)
|q c|max

Avoids nonphysical coarse scale properties (T *=q c/p c)

Coarse scale properties efficiently adapted to a given
flow scenario
9

Multiscale Modeling
Solve flow on coarse scale, reconstruct fine
scale v, solve transport on fine scale

k p 0
*

S
( vS ) 0
t

Active research area in reservoir simulation:

Dual mesh method (FD): Ram & Killough (1991),
Gurillot & Verdire (1995), Gautier et al. (1999)

Multiscale FEM: Hou & Wu (1997)

Multiscale FVM: Jenny, Lee & Tchelepi (2003, 2004)

10

Reconstruction of Fine Scale Velocity

k p 0
*

Partition coarse
flux to fine
scale

Upscaling,
global
coarse scale
flow

Solve local fine scale

(kp)=0

S
( vS ) 0
t

Reconstructed
fine scale v
(downscaling)

Readily performed in upscaling framework

11

Results: Performance of ALG

Pressure Distribution

Channelized layer (59) from 10th SPE CSP

Averaged fine

Upscaling 220 60 22 6

25.0

Q (Fine scale) = 20.86

Flow rate for specified

ALG, Error: 4%
pressure
15.0
20.0

Fine scale: Q = 20.86

Extended
Extended local,T *: Q = 7.17

Error: 67%
ALG
upscaling: Q = 20.01

10.0
5.0
0.0

2
Iteration

Coarse: extended local

Coarse: Adaptive local-global

12

Results: Multiple Channelized Layers

10th SPE CSP

Extended local T *

Adaptive local-global T *

13

Another Channelized System

100 realizations
120 120 24 24

k * only

T * + NWSU

ALG T *

14

Results: Multiple Realizations

Fine scale
100 realizations
mean

BHP (PSIA)

90% conf. int.

Time (days)

100 realizations conditioned to seismic and well data

Oil-water flow, M=5

Injector: injection rate constraint, Producer: bottom hole

pressure constraint

Upscaling: 100 100 10 10

15

Results: Multiple Realizations

Coarse: Adaptive local-global

BHP (PSIA)

BHP (PSIA)

Coarse: Purely local upscaling

Time (days)

Mean (coarse scale)

90% conf. int. (coarse
scale)

Time (days)

Mean (fine scale)

90% conf. int. (fine scale)

16

Results (Fo): Channelized System

Oil cut from reconstruction
Fractional Flow Curve

1.2
1

220

60 22 6

0.8

ALG T *
Fo 0.6

Flow rates
Fine scale: Q = 6.30
Extended T *: Q = 1.17

Extended local T *

0.4
0.2

Fine scale
0
0

0.2

0.4 PVI 0.6

0.8

ALG upscaling: Q = 6.26

17

Results (Sw): Channelized System

1.0

0.5

0.0

Fine scale
streamlines

Reconstructed Sw from
extended local T * (22 6)

Fine scale Sw (220 60)

Reconstructed Sw
from
ALG T * (22 6)

18

Results for 3D Systems (SPE 10)

50 channelized layers, 3 wells
pinj=1, pprod=0

Typical layers

Upscale from
6022050 124410
using different methods
19

Results for Well Flow Rates - 3D

Average errors
k* only: 43%
Extended T* + NWSU: 27%
Adaptive local-global: 3.5%

20

Results for Transport (Multiscale) - 3D

Producer 2

Producer 1

fine scale

Fo

ALG T

local T * w/nw

Fo

standard k*
standard k*
local T * w/nw

PVI

fine scale
ALG T *

PVI

Quality of transport calculation depends on the

accuracy of the upscaling
21

Velocity Reconstruction versus

Subgrid Modeling
Multiscale methods carry fine and coarse grid
information over the entire simulation
Subgrid modeling methods capture effects of fine
grid velocity via upscaled transport functions:
- Pseudoization techniques
- Modeling of higher moments
- Generalized convection-diffusion model
22

Pseudo Relative Permeability Models

Coarse scale pressure and saturation equations of same

form as fine scale equations

Pseudo functions may vary in each block and may be

directional (even for single set of krj in fine scale model)

( x , S ) k p 0 ,
*

S c
F* ( x, S c ) 0
t

*
*
k
k
* ( x, S c ) = rw ro , Fi* v ic f i * ( x, S c )
w o
*
rw i

( k ) w
fi (S ) *
( k rw )i w + ( k ro* )i o
*

* upscaled function
c

coarse scale p, S
23

Generalized Convection-Diffusion
Subgrid Model for Two-Phase Flow

Pseudo relative permeability description is convenient but

incomplete, additional functionality required in general

Generalized convection-diffusion model introduces new

coarse scale terms
- Form derives from volume averaging and
homogenization procedures
- Method is local, avoids need to approximate vi( x )v j ( y )
- Shares some similarities with earlier stochastic
approaches of Lenormand & coworkers (1998, 1999)
24

Generalized Convection-Diffusion Model

Coarse scale saturation equation:

S c
G ( x , S c ) D ( x , S c ) S c
t

(modified convection m
and diffusion D terms)

G(x, S c ) v c f ( S c ) m(x, S c )

Coarse scale pressure equation:

* ( x, S c )k * p c 0

primitive term
GCD term

* ( S c ) W1 ( x, S c ) W2 ( x, S c ) S c
(modified form for total
mobility, Sc dependence)
25

Calculation of GCD Functions

D and W2 computed over purely local domain:

p=1

D( S ) S v f ( S ) v f ( S )
p=0

S=1

(D and W2 account for

local subgrid effects)

m and W1 computed using extended local domain:

m( S ) v f ( S ) vf ( S ) D( S ) S
(m and W1 - subgrid effects due
to longer range interactions)
target coarse block

26

Solution Procedure

Generate fine model (100 100) of prescribed parameters

Form uniform coarse grid (10 10) and compute k* and

directional GCD functions for each coarse block

Compute directional pseudo relative permeabilities via total

mobility (Stone-type) method for each block

Solve saturation equation using second order TVD scheme,

first order method for simulations with pseudo krj

fine grid: lx lz
Lx = Lz
27

Oil Cuts for M =1 Simulations

Oil Cut

lx = 0.25, lz= 0.01, =2, side to side flow

100 x 100

10 x 10 (GCD)

10 x 10 (primitive)

10 x 10 (pseudo)

PVI

GCD and pseudo models agree closely with fine scale

(pseudoization technique selected on this basis)

28

Results for Two-Point Geostatistics

Diffusive effects only
x =0.05, y = 0.01, logk = 2.0
10

100x100 10x10, Side Flow

29

Results for Two-Point Geostatistics (Contd)

Permeability with longer correlation length
x =0.5, y = 0.05, logk = 2.0
10

100x100 10x10, Side Flow

30

Effect of Varying Global BCs (M =1)

lx = 0.25, lz= 0.01, =2

p=1

10 x 10 (GCD)
lx = 0.25, lz= 0.01, =2
10 x 10 (primitive)
10 x 10 (pseudo)

p=0

p=0

Oil Cut

S=1
0 t 0.8 PVI

100 x 100

p=1
S=1

t > 0.8 PVI

PVI

31

Corner to Corner Flow (M = 5)

Oil Cut

Total Rate

lx = 0.2, lz= 0.02, =1.5

PVI

100 x 100

10 x 10 (GCD)

10 x 10 (pseudo)

PVI

Pseudo model shows considerable error, GCD model

provides comparable agreement as in side to side flow
32

Effect of Varying Global BCs (M = 5)

Oil Cut

Total Rate

lx = 0.2, lz= 0.02, =1.5

PVI

100 x 100

10 x 10 (GCD)

10 x 10 (pseudo)

PVI

Pseudo model overpredicts oil recovery, GCD model

in close agreement
33

Effect of Varying Global BCs (M = 5)

Oil Cut

Total Rate

lx = 0.5, lz= 0.02, =1.5

PVI

100 x 100

10 x 10 (GCD)

10 x 10 (pseudo)

PVI

GCD model underpredicts peak in oil cut, otherwise

tracks fine grid solution
34

Combine GCD with ALG T* Upscaling

Coarse scale flow:
Pseudo functions:
GCD model:

*k * p c 0

* ( S c )
* ( S c , S c )

T * from ALG, dependent on global flow

*, m(S c) and D(S c)

Consistency between T * and * important for highly

heterogeneous systems
35

ALG + Subgrid Model for Transport (GCD)

Stanford V model (layer 1)
Upscaling: 100130 1013
Transport solved on coarse scale
t < 0.6 PVI

t 0.6 PVI

flow rate

oil cut

36

Unstructured Modeling - Workflow

fine model

upscaling

info. maps

coarse model

gridding

Gocad
interface

flow simulation

flow simulation
diagnostic

37

Numerical Discretization Technique

k
Primal and
dual grids

CVFE method:

Locally conservative; flux on a face expressed as linear

combination of pressures
Multiple point and two point flux approximations

qij = a pi + b pj + c pk + ...

or qij = Tij ( pi - pj )

Different upscaling techniques for MPFA and TPFA

38

3D Transmissibility Upscaling (TPFA)

Dual cells

Primal grid
connection

p=1

fitted
extended
regions

Tij = *

cell j

p=0

<qij>
<pj> - <pi>

cell i
39

Grid Generation: Parameters

Specify flow-diagnostic

Grid aspect ratio

Grid resolution constraint:

cumulative frequency
Pb

Pa

Information map (flow rate, tb)

Pa and Pb , sa and sb

a
min

property

N (number of nodes)

max

resolution constraint
Sb

Sa
min

a
property

max

40

Unstructured Gridding and Upscaling

velocity
grid density

Upscaled k*
(from Prevost, 2003)

41

Flow-Based Upscaling: Layered System

Layered system: 200 x 100 x 50 cells

p=1

p=0

0. 5
0.25

Upscale permeability and transmissibility

Run k*-MPFA and T*-TPFA for M=1
Compute errors in Q/p and L1 norm of Fw

42

Flow-Based Upscaling: Results

1

6 x 6 x 13 = 468 nodes

8 x 8 x 18 = 1152 nodes

Reference (fine)
TPFA
MPFA

0.8

Fw

0.8

Fw

0.6

0.6

0.4

0.4

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.4

PVI

0.6

0.8

error in Fw

error in Q/p

TPFA

7.6%

-1.2%

MPFA

17.9%

-25.2%

0.2

0.4

PVI

0.6

0.8

error in Fw

error in Q/p

TPFA

16.8%

-5.9%

MPFA

21.3%

-31.7%

(from M. Prevost, 2003)

43

Layered Reservoir: Flow Rate Adaptation

sa

Grid density from

flow rate

log |V|

grid size

sb

Flow results
1

reference
uniform coarse (N=21x11x11=2541)
flow-rate adapted (N=1394)

0.8

0.6

Fw
F

Qc=0.99
0.4

(Qf = 1.0)

Qc=0.82
0.2

(from Prevost, 2003)

0.2

0.4

PVI
PVI

0.6

0.8

44

Summary
Upscaling is required to generate realistic coarse
scale models for reservoir simulation
Described and applied a new adaptive local-global
method for computing T *
Illustrated use of ALG upscaling in conjunction with
multiscale modeling
Described GCD method for upscaling of transport
Presented approaches for flow-based gridding and
upscaling for 3D unstructured systems
45

Future Directions
Hybridization of various upscaling techniques
(e.g., flow-based gridding + ALG upscaling)
Further development for 3D unstructured systems
Linkage of single-phase gridding and upscaling
approaches with two-phase upscaling methods
Dynamic updating of grid and coarse properties
Error modeling
46