Method and system for performing reservoir simulations using look-ahead models

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023332490-A1
Application number	US-202217720826-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 14, 2022
Priority date	Apr 14, 2022
Publication date	Oct 19, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method may include obtaining grid model data regarding a geological region of interest. The method may further include obtaining well data regarding a well in the geological region of interest. The method may further include obtaining a grid model for the geological region of interest based on the grid model data and the well data. The method may further include obtaining a time selection for a look-ahead simulation. The method may further include determining a look-ahead model for the look-ahead simulation based on the grid model data, the well data, and a coarsening function. The method may further include performing the look-ahead simulation using the look-ahead model and the time selection. The method may further include performing a reservoir simulation of the geological region of interest using the grid model and the look-ahead simulation.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A method, comprising:
obtaining grid model data regarding a geological region of interest; obtaining well data regarding one or more wells in the geological region of interest; obtaining a grid model for the geological region of interest based on the grid model data and the well data; obtaining a time selection for a first look-ahead simulation; determining, by a computer processor, a first look-ahead model for the first look-ahead simulation based on the grid model data, the well data, and a first coarsening function,
wherein the first look-ahead model simulates the geological region of interest at a faster rate than the grid model;
performing, by the computer processor, the first look-ahead simulation using the first look-ahead model and the time selection; and performing, by the computer processor, a first reservoir simulation of the geological region of interest using the grid model and the first look-ahead simulation.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining look-ahead data based on the first look-ahead simulation; and determining a composite reservoir parameter based on the well data and the look-ahead data, wherein the composite reservoir parameter is based on a first reservoir parameter from the first look-ahead simulation and a second reservoir simulation that is performed before the first reservoir simulation, and wherein the first reservoir simulation is performed using the composite reservoir parameter.

3 . The method of claim 2 ,
wherein the composite reservoir parameter comprises a weighted value based on a number of a plurality of look-ahead simulations comprising the first look-ahead simulation.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, at a first time step in an iterative process, a first well potential for a plurality of wells in the geological region of interest; determining a second well potential for the plurality of wells using the first look-ahead simulation, wherein the first well potential describes a simulated production rate for the plurality of wells for the first time step, and wherein the second well potential describes a simulated production rate for the plurality of wells over the time selection; and determining a composite well potential based on the first well potential and the second well potential, wherein the first reservoir simulation is performed using the composite well potential.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a plurality of look-ahead models for a plurality of wells in the geological region of interest, wherein a respective look-ahead model among the plurality of look-ahead models corresponds to a respective well among the plurality of wells, wherein the respective look-ahead model comprises an area of interest around the respective well, and wherein the respective look-ahead model comprises a first subset of cells outside the area of interest with greater coarsening than a second subset of cells within the area of interest; and performing a second reservoir simulation based on a plurality of look-ahead simulations using the plurality of look-ahead models.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
simulating the geological region of interest using a plurality of reservoir simulations comprising the first reservoir simulation, wherein simulating the geological region of interest corresponds to a predetermined time period, and wherein the time selection is a subset of the predetermined time period that is less than the predetermined time period.

7 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the time selection comprises a target time, wherein the target time corresponds to a predetermined time step in an iterative process where the first look-ahead simulation ends, and wherein the first reservoir simulation continues in the iterative process past the predetermined time step.

8 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the first reservoir simulation and the first look-ahead simulation are performed in parallel using a plurality of parallel processors.

9 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the first look-ahead simulation is performed before beginning the first reservoir simulation.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a second look-ahead model for a second look-ahead simulation based on the grid model data, the well data, and a second coarsening function; and performing the second look-ahead simulation in parallel with the first look-ahead simulation using the second look-ahead model and the time selection, wherein the first coarsening function and second coarsening functions are different functions.

11 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the first coarsening function is selected from a group consisting of a fluid characterization coarsening, a streamline coarsening, or a grid coarsening.

12 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the first look-ahead model is a proxy model comprising a plurality of well constraints that are the same as the grid model, and wherein the proxy model has a first plurality of grid cells that are less than a second plurality of grid cells in the grid model.

13 . A system, comprising:
a network comprising a plurality of parallel processors; and a reservoir simulator comprising a computer processor, wherein the reservoir simulator is coupled to the network, the reservoir simulator comprising functionality for:
obtaining grid model data regarding a geological region of interest;
obtaining well data regarding one or more wells in the geological region of interest;
obtaining a grid model for the geological region of interest based on the grid model data and the well data;
obtaining a time selection for a look-ahead simulation;
determining a look-ahead model for the look-ahead simulation based on the grid model data, the well data, and a first coarsening function,
wherein the look-ahead model simulates the geological region of interest at a faster rate than the grid model;
performing the look-ahead simulation using the look-ahead model and the time selection; and
performing a first reservoir simulation of the geological region of interest using the grid model and the look-ahead simulation.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the reservoir simulator further comprises functionality for:
determining look-ahead data based on the look-ahead simulation; and determining a composite reservoir parameter based on the well data and the look-ahead data, wherein the composite reservoir parameter is based on a reservoir parameter from the look-ahead simulation and a second reservoir simulation that is performed before the first reservoir simulation, and wherein the first reservoir simulation is performed using the composite reservoir parameter.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the reservoir simulator further comprises functionality for:
determining, at a time step in an iterative process, a first well potential for a plurality of wells in the geological region of interest; determining a second well potential for the plurality of wells using the look-ahead simulation, wherein the first well potential describes a simulated production rate for the plurality of wells for the time step, and wherein the second well potential describes a simulated production rate for the plurality of wells over the time selection; and determining a composite well potential based on the first well potential and the second well potential, wherein the first reservoir simulation is performed using the composite well potential.

16 . The system of claim 1

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Crumpton Paul
• Cancelliere Michel

Classifications

• E21B43/16 Primary

  Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons · CPC title

• E21B2200/20

  Computer models or simulations, e.g. for reservoirs under production, drill bits · CPC title

• G01V20/00 Primary

  Geomodelling in general · CPC title