Basin Simulation for Biogenic Gas Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current basin simulation methods fail to accurately predict hydrocarbon accumulations by neglecting the transport of biogenic gas dissolved in formation water, leading to significant errors in locating economic gas deposits.
Innovation Solution
A method that models the production and migration of biogenic gas, including its advection in water within the sedimentary basin, to determine the quantity of free gas, using a computer program that simulates the geological and geochemical processes, allowing for a more precise prediction of hydrocarbon accumulations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional basin simulation methods are used that neglect biogenic gas transport, then the simulation complexity remains manageable, but the prediction accuracy of hydrocarbon accumulations deteriorates significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The basin simulation is segmented into distinct modules: a biogenic gas production module that calculates gas generation from organic matter, a dissolution module that models gas dissolving in formation water, and an advection module that tracks dissolved gas transport. This segmentation allows each process to be modeled separately with appropriate complexity, while integrating them provides comprehensive prediction accuracy without overwhelming overall system complexity.
2Measurement precision
If biogenic gas advection transport is included in the simulation, then the localization accuracy of hydrocarbon deposits improves, but the computational requirements and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The method performs preliminary calculation of biogenic gas production quantities based on organic matter content and maturation models before executing the advection transport simulation. By pre-calculating source terms and boundary conditions, the subsequent advection simulation can proceed more efficiently with reduced computational overhead, maintaining high localization accuracy while minimizing additional processing time.
3Reliability
If the transport of dissolved biogenic gas is neglected, then the exploration cost and drilling risk remain high, but the computational model remains simpler
Solution Approach 1:
Formation water acts as an intermediary medium that transports dissolved biogenic gas from production zones to accumulation zones. The model explicitly tracks this intermediary transport mechanism, showing how dissolved gas moves through aquifers and recharge zones. This intermediary approach provides reliable prediction of gas accumulations in areas distant from direct biogenic production zones, significantly improving exploration reliability while adding manageable model complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the accuracy of hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation by accounting for the transport of biogenic gas, leading to better identification and localization of potential hydrocarbon deposits, thereby improving the success rate of drilling and resource extraction.
Implementation Method 1
a step involving the modeling of the production of biogenic gas
Implementation Method 2
a step enabling the simulation of the migration, by advection, of at least a part of this gas dissolved in the water present in the basin
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4A~4B
Figure 4C~4D
AI summary
- A method for exploiting a sedimentary basin containing hydrocarbons, using basin simulation. - From mesh representations of a basin for each time step of a simulation, for each time step and in each cell of the mesh representation of said time step, the following calculations are performed: at least one quantity of biogenic gas produced in said cell at said time step is determined; then at least one quantity of biogenic gas dissolved in the water present in said cell at said time step is determined, and from this, a quantity of free biogenic gas in said cell at said time step is deduced; then at least one quantity of biogenic gas dissolved in the water of said cell at said time step is taken into account. - Application, in particular, to the exploration and exploitation of oil fields, for example.