Tuning digital core analysis to laboratory results

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10620340-B2
Application number	US-201415102225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2014
Priority date	Dec 4, 2013
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

A method and computer system for performing simulation of a field having a subterranean formation. The method includes obtaining measured core sample data of a core sample retrieved from the formation, the core sample data measured by injecting fluid into the core sample, obtaining a digital rock model of the core sample describing a physical pore structure in the core sample, and obtaining a fluid model describing a physical property of the fluid. A digital core analysis (DCA) of the core sample is performed to generate a DCA simulation result and the DCA is tuned using the measured core sample data to reduce a difference between the DCA simulation result and the measured core sample data. The tuning is performed by adjusting, in response to the difference exceeding a pre-determined limit, a parameter of the DCA to generate an adjusted parameter and further performing the DCA to reduce the difference.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for characterizing a subterranean formation of the earth by performing simulation of a field having the subterranean formation to recover hydrocarbons, comprising:
obtaining measured core sample data of a core sample retrieved from the subterranean formation, wherein the measured core sample data is measured while at least injecting fluid into the core sample according to a laboratory test procedure;
obtaining a digital rock model of the core sample and a fluid model of the fluid, wherein the digital rock model describes a physical pore structure in the core sample, and wherein the fluid model describes a physical property of the fluid;
performing, by a processor of a computer system, digital core analysis (DCA) of the core sample to generate a DCA simulation result, comprising:
simulating, based on the digital rock model, the fluid model, and at least one parameter defined by the laboratory test procedure, injecting the fluid into the core sample to generate the DCA simulation result, comprising:
representing a plurality of portions of the core sample by a plurality of digital rock model instantiations;
simulating a first portion of the plurality of portions to generate a first effluent output, wherein the first portion is simulated based at least on a first injection input and a first digital rock model instantiation of the plurality of digital rock model instantiations; and
simulating a second portion of the plurality of portions to generate a second effluent output, wherein the second portion is simulated based on the first effluent output and a second digital rock model instantiation of the plurality of digital rock model instantiations,
wherein the DCA simulation result is based at least on the first effluent output and the second effluent output, and wherein the first effluent output is adjusted before using it in simulating the second portion;

wherein the DCA simulation result models applying the laboratory test procedure to the core sample;

tuning, by the processor, the DCA using the measured core sample data to reduce a difference between the DCA simulation result and the measured core sample data, comprising:
adjusting, in response to the difference exceeding a pre-determined limit, a parameter of the DCA to generate an adjusted parameter; and
further performing the DCA based on the adjusted parameter to reduce the difference;
and

adjusting or performing a field operation according to results of the DCA.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter of the DCA comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a digital core parameter of the digital rock model, a fluid parameter of the fluid model, and the at least one parameter defined by the laboratory test procedure.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the fluid model comprises an equation of state model of the fluid.

4. The method of claim 2 ,
wherein the fluid model comprises a fluid model description based on the Helmholtz free energy model constructed from at least one selected from a group consisting of phase behavior data, correlated phase behavior data, and an equation of state model, and
wherein performing the DCA is based on a Density Functional (DF) method for complex pore-scale hydrodynamics.

5. A computer system for characterizing a subterranean formation of the earthy by performing simulation of a field having the subterranean formation to recover hydrocarbons, comprising:
a processor and memory; and
software instructions stored in the memory, executing on the processor, and comprising:
an input module configured to obtain measured core sample data of a core sample retrieved from the subterranean formation, wherein the measured core sample data is measured while at least injecting fluid into the core sample according to a laboratory test procedure;

a digital core analysis (DCA) simulator configured to:
obtain a digital rock model of the core sample and a fluid model of the fluid, wherein the digital rock model describes a physical pore structure in the core sample, and wherein the fluid model describes a physical property of the fluid;
perform DCA of the core sample to generate a DCA simulation result, wherein the DCA comprises:
simulating, based on the digital rock model, the fluid model, and at least one parameter defined by the laboratory test procedure, injecting the fluid into the core sample to generate the DCA simulation result, comprising:
representing a plurality of portions of the core sample by a plurality of digital rock model instantiations;
simulating a first portion of the plurality of portions to generate a first effluent output, wherein the first portion is simulated based at least on a first injection input and a first digital rock model instantiation of the plurality of digital rock model instantiations; and
simulating a second portion of the plurality of portions to generate a second effluent output, wherein the second portion is simulated based on the first effluent output and a second digital rock model instantiation of the plurality of digital rock model instantiations, wherein the DCA simulation result is based at least on the first effluent output and the second effluent output, and wherein the first effluent output is adjusted before using it in simulating the second portion;
wherein the DCA simulation result models applying the laboratory test procedure to the core sample;

a DCA tuning module configured to tune the DCA using the measured core sample data to reduce a difference between the DCA simulation result and the measured core sample data, wherein tuning the DCA comprises:
adjusting, in response to the difference exceeding a pre-determined limit, a parameter of the DCA to generate an adjusted parameter,

wherein the DCA simulator is further configured to further perform the DCA based on the adjusted parameter to reduce the difference; and
a repository configured to store the measured core sample data, the digital rock model, and the DCA simulation result;
wherein the computer system adjusts or performs a field operation based on the DCA simulation result.

6. The computer system of claim 5 , wherein the parameter of the DCA comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a digital core parameter of the digital rock model, a fluid parameter of the fluid model, and the at least one parameter defined by the laboratory test procedure.

7. The computer system of claim 6 , wherein the fluid model comprises an equation of state model of the fluid.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for characterizing a subterranean formation of the earth by performing simulation of a field having the subterranean formation, the instructions when executed by a computer processor comprising functionality for:
obtaining measured core sample data of a core sample retrieved from the subterranean formation, wherein the measured core sample data is measured while at least injecting fluid into the core sample according to a laboratory test procedure;
obtaining a digital rock model of the core sample and a fluid model of the fluid, wherein the digital rock model describes a physical pore structure in the core sample, and wherein the fluid model describes a physical property of the fluid;
performing digital core analysis (DCA) of the core sample to generate a DCA simulation result, comprising:
simulating, based on the digital rock model, the fluid model, and at least one parameter defined by the laboratory test procedure, injecting the fluid into the core sample to generate the DCA simulation result, comprising
representing a plurality of portions of the core sample by a plurality of digital rock model instantiations;
simulating a first portion of the pl

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Andersen Mark
• Klemin Denis
• Nadeev Alexander Nikolaevich

Classifications

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• E21B43/00 Primary

  Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells (applicable only to water E03B) · CPC title

• G01V99/00

  Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• E21B49/02

  by mechanically taking samples of the soil · CPC title

• E21B25/00

  Apparatus for obtaining or removing undisturbed cores, e.g. core barrels or core extractors (core bits E21B10/02) · CPC title