Integrated oilfield asset modeling using multiple resolutions of reservoir detail

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10866340-B2
Application number	US-201414915674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2014
Priority date	Sep 5, 2013
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and program product model an oilfield asset by selecting, for each of multiple sectors of the oilfield asset, a sector model from among a collection of sector models, building a multi-resolution integrated asset model of the oilfield asset using the selected sector model for each of the sectors, and performing a computer simulation using the multi-resolution integrated asset model. The collection of sector models for each sector includes multiple sector models modeled at varying resolutions. In addition, the multi-resolution integrated asset model includes a surface network model that couples the selected sector models to one another. As such, different sectors of an oilfield asset may be modeled at varying resolutions to balance accuracy and turnaround time when performing integrated oilfield asset modeling.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
building an initial integrated asset model of an oilfield asset of an oilfield;
dividing the initial integrated asset model into different sectors, wherein each of the sectors models a subsurface portion of the oilfield and wells coupled to a surface pipeline network;
for each of the different sectors, generating, and storing to a data store, a collection of sector models modeled at different spatial resolutions according to a mathematical progression, wherein each of the different spatial resolutions corresponds to a number of grid cells for the subsurface portion of the oilfield, wherein the number of grid cells differs for each of the different spatial resolutions, and wherein spatial resolution, simulation accuracy for simulation results and turnaround time for simulation results increase with respect to an increase in the number of grid cells;
based on a balance between accuracy and turnaround time for simulation results for a region of interest in the oilfield, for each of the different sectors, selecting and accessing from the data store one of the sector models from the collection of sector models, wherein a number of grid cells of the initial integrated asset model for one of the different sectors is greater than a number of grid cells for a corresponding one of the selected and accessed sector models, and wherein the one of the selected and accessed sector models comprises an upscaled reservoir property from upscaling the reservoir property from the initial integrated asset model or an intermediate sector model to the one of the selected and accessed sector models by averaging values of the reservoir property from a plurality of the grid cells in the initial integrated asset model or the intermediate sector model to determine a value of the reservoir property for a corresponding one of the grid cells in the one of the selected and accessed sector models;
building a multi-spatial resolution integrated asset model of the oilfield asset using the selected sector model for each of the different sectors, the multi-spatial resolution integrated asset model further including a surface network model of the surface pipeline network;
performing a simulation using the multi-spatial resolution integrated asset model to generate the simulation results for the region of interest, wherein the simulation results are for fluid flow; and
updating a field development plan for the oilfield based upon the simulation results.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting and accessing one of the sector models is performed in response to user input via a computerized interface.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein building the initial integrated asset model is based upon reservoir and surface descriptions of the oilfield asset, and wherein the initial integrated asset model defines at least one reservoir model.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein dividing the initial integrated asset model into different sectors is based at least in part on well contributions to production platforms, physical extents of lease blocks, fault locations in a reservoir or locations of well drainage zones.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data store includes a database and a version management system to control updates to the sector models stored in the database, and further comprising propagating a model update to the initial integrated asset model to at least one of the sector models stored in the database.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the simulation comprises performing numerical simulation using a numerical reservoir simulator, a numerical pipe flow simulator and a model coupling component.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the simulation comprises solving the selected and accessed sector models independently.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising selecting another region of interest and selecting and accessing at least one of the sector models modeled at a different spatial resolution.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising controlling at least one piece of equipment in the oilfield based on updating the field development plan.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein controlling comprises controlling drilling in the oilfield.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein updating the field development plan comprises updating a well plan for a well.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the reservoir property is porosity.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the reservoir property is permeability.

14. The method of claim 1 comprising receiving an update to the initial integrated asset model and automatically updating at least one of the collections of sector models.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the update comprises an update to a well description.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the update comprises an update to a property model based on seismic data.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the one of the selected and accessed sector models comprises a plurality of upscaled reservoir properties.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the mathematical progression is a geometric progression.

19. A system, comprising:
at least one processing unit; and
program code configured upon execution by the at least one processing unit to:
build an initial integrated asset model of an oilfield asset of an oilfield;
divide the initial integrated asset model into different sectors, wherein each of the sectors models a subsurface portion of the oilfield and wells coupled to a surface pipeline network;
for each of the different sectors, generate, and store to a data store, a collection of sector models modeled at different spatial resolutions according to a mathematical progression, wherein each of the different spatial resolutions corresponds to a number of grid cells for the subsurface portion of the oilfield, wherein the number of grid cells differs for each of the different spatial resolutions, and wherein spatial resolution, simulation accuracy for simulation results and turnaround time for simulation results increase with respect to an increase in the number of grid cells;
based on a balance between accuracy and turnaround time for simulation results for a region of interest in the oilfield, for each of the different sectors, select and access from the data store one of the sector models from the collection of sector models, wherein a number of grid cells of the initial integrated asset model for one of the different sectors is greater than a number of grid cells for a corresponding one of the selected and accessed sector models, and wherein the one of the selected and accessed sector models comprises an upscaled reservoir property from upscaling the reservoir property from the initial integrated asset model or an intermediate sector model to the one of the selected and accessed sector models by averaging values of the reservoir property from a plurality of the grid cells in the initial integrated asset model or the intermediate sector model to determine a value of the reservoir property for a corresponding one of the grid cells in the one of the selected and accessed sector models;
build a multi-spatial resolution integrated asset model of the oilfield asset using the selected sector model for each of the different sectors, the multi-spatial resolution integrated asset model further including a surface network model of the surface pipeline network;
perform a simulation using the multi-spatial resolution integrated asset model to generate the simulation results for the region of interest, wherein the simulation results are for

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Rowan David
• Wakefield Mark
• Bulman Simon D

Classifications

• E21B41/00 Primary

  Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00 · CPC title

• G01V11/00

  Prospecting or detecting by methods combining techniques covered by two or more of main groups G01V1/00 - G01V9/00 · CPC title

• E21B44/00

  Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions · CPC title

• G01V2210/66

  Subsurface modeling · CPC title

• E21B2200/22

  Fuzzy logic, artificial intelligence, neural networks or the like · CPC title