Reservoir Simulator Proppant Damage Modeling via Pore Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional reservoir simulators face computational challenges in accurately modeling proppant damage effects on hydrocarbon reservoir production due to the need for complex calculations involving closure stress and permeability relationships, which are computationally demanding and require extensive data.
Innovation Solution
A reservoir simulator that transforms the fracture permeability versus closure stress relationship into a pore pressure versus fracture permeability relationship, allowing for dynamic modeling of proppant damage effects on production, using algorithms and data from proppant databases and fracture simulators to calculate permeability reduction factors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional reservoir simulators use compaction tables to model proppant damage effects, then production behavior can be predicted, but computational complexity increases and accuracy is insufficient due to the complex calculations involving closure stress and permeability relationships
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary transformation process that converts closure stress relationships into pore pressure relationships. This intermediary step allows the simulator to use simple pore pressure look-up tables instead of directly computing complex closure stress equations, thereby reducing computational complexity while maintaining prediction accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the fundamental parameters used in the simulation by converting from closure stress-based permeability relationships to pore pressure-based permeability relationships. This parameter change enables the use of simpler computational methods while preserving the essential physics of proppant damage effects.
2Reliability
If laboratory tests and physical theory are used to determine permeability versus closure stress relationships, then proppant damage effects can be modeled, but data requirements increase beyond what is typically available
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential permeability-pressure relationship from the complex laboratory test data, converting it into a simplified form that can be stored in look-up tables. This extraction process retains the critical information needed for reliable modeling while eliminating the need for extensive raw data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified copies of the complex permeability-closure stress relationships by transforming them into permeability-pore pressure relationships. These copied relationships are stored in compact tables that can be easily accessed during simulation without requiring the original extensive laboratory data.
3Measurement precision
If closure stress calculations are performed directly in the reservoir simulator, then accurate proppant damage modeling is achieved, but computational efficiency decreases making the process too demanding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the complex permeability relationship transformations in advance, before the main reservoir simulation begins. By pre-calculating and storing permeability-pore pressure relationships in look-up tables, the actual simulation process only requires simple table look-ups, dramatically improving computational efficiency while maintaining accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A reservoir simulator system models the effect of proppant damage on reservoir production through calculation of a fracture closure stress versus fracture permeability relationship, which is mathematically transformed into a pore pressure versus fracture permeability relationship. Based upon the pore pressure relationship, the system models reservoir production while taking into account the permeability reduction in the fractures brought about due to proppant damage.