Reservoir Connectivity Modeling for Fast Field Development Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing field development plans for oil and gas fields suffer from inaccuracies due to complex subsurface characteristics and insufficient computing power, leading to lower-than-forecast production and budget overruns.
Innovation Solution
A method for creating a hydrocarbon field development plan that initializes, calibrates, predicts, and optimizes a connectivity model using a fast marching method and global/local optimization algorithms to determine well placement and type, minimizing computational expense and improving modeling accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional field development plans are created without connectivity modeling, then computational expense is reduced, but manufacturing precision (modeling accuracy) deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir is segmented into discrete grid cells, and connectivity is modeled by establishing discrete connections between adjacent cells based on permeability thresholds. This segmentation transforms the continuous complex reservoir into manageable discrete units, enabling accurate connectivity modeling without prohibitive computational cost
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and models only the essential connectivity relationships between reservoir cells that are relevant to fluid flow, rather than simulating every physical detail. By taking out and focusing on the critical connectivity pathways, the model achieves sufficient accuracy for field development planning while maintaining computational efficiency
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional field development plans are created without connectivity modeling, then simulation time is reduced, but productivity (production prediction accuracy) deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connectivity model is pre-computed and calibrated before the main field development optimization process. By performing the computationally intensive connectivity analysis in advance and storing the results, the subsequent production predictions can be made quickly without repeating the full simulation, thus improving productivity while maintaining accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified connectivity representation (a copy) of the full reservoir model that captures the essential flow pathways. This connectivity copy can be rapidly evaluated multiple times during optimization without running complete reservoir simulations, significantly reducing simulation time while preserving production prediction accuracy
3Reliability
If comprehensive field development plans are created with full subsurface characterization, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connectivity model applies different modeling approaches to different regions of the reservoir based on local characteristics. High-permeability regions are modeled with detailed connectivity, while low-permeability regions use simplified representations. This local quality approach ensures reliable predictions where they matter most while reducing overall plan complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the complex subsurface characterization data into a simplified connectivity parameter representation. By changing the parameters from detailed geological properties to binary connectivity states (connected/not connected), the model maintains reliability for production forecasting while reducing the complexity of the development plan
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for creating a field development plan, comprising initializing, by a specially programmed computing system, a connectivity model, calibrating, by a specially programmed computing system, the connectivity model based on a plurality of reservoir simulation results, determining, by a specially programmed computing system, a travel time between wells and reservoir cells using a fast marching method, determining, by the specially programmed computing system, a hydrocarbon saturation based on the travel time to construct a model prediction, optimizing, by the specially programmed computing system, the connectivity model using a global optimization and a local optimization, and constructing, by the specially programmed computing system, at least one well file using the optimized connectivity model.