Geologic Model Simulation Grid Zone Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gridding methods for geologic modeling in hydrocarbon exploration and production are inefficient, requiring high computational resources and often resulting in suboptimal cell alignments, which can lead to inaccurate reservoir simulations and costly miscalculations in well placement and fluid flow predictions.
Innovation Solution
An improved simulation gridding technique that generates a physical space simulation mesh by mapping a geologic model to a design space, partitioning cells with faults, and reverse mapping to the physical space, allowing for better cell alignments and reduced computational burden, while maintaining accurate representation of subsurface features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional gridding methods are used to generate simulation meshes, then the mesh can be created with standard procedures, but the computational burden is high and cell alignments are suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a design space as an intermediary between the physical space geologic model and the final simulation mesh. By mapping the geologic model to a simplified design space, performing gridding operations there, and then mapping back to physical space, the method achieves better cell alignments while reducing computational complexity compared to direct gridding in physical space.
2Measurement precision
If more numerous smaller volumetric elements are used in the mesh, then higher accuracy is achieved, but computational demands increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the gridding problem by changing the coordinate system and working in design space rather than physical space. This parameter transformation allows for more efficient mesh generation that achieves the required simulation accuracy without needing excessively fine discretization, thereby reducing computational resource requirements.
3Productivity
If conventional gridding methods are used, then the process is straightforward, but the gridding time is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the gridding process into distinct phases: mapping to design space, gridding in design space, and mapping back to physical space. This segmentation allows each phase to be optimized independently, with the design space gridding phase being computationally more efficient, thereby reducing overall gridding time while maintaining productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
An illustrative geologic modeling method may comprise: obtaining a geologic model representing a subsurface region in physical space, the subsurface region being divided into multiple zones; sequentially generating a physical space simulation mesh for each of said multiple zones by: (a) mapping a current zone of the physical space geologic model to a current zone of a design space model representing a current zone of an unfaulted subsurface region; (b) gridding the design space model to obtain a design space mesh; (c) partitioning cells in the current zone of the design space mesh with faults mapped from the current zone of the physical space geologic model, thereby obtaining a partitioned design space mesh for the current zone; and (d) reverse mapping the partitioned design space mesh for the current zone to the physical space for the current zone.