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Title: A machine learning framework for rapid forecasting and history matching in unconventional reservoirs

Journal Article · · Scientific Reports

We present a novel workflow for forecasting production in unconventional reservoirs using reduced-order models and machine-learning. Our physics-informed machine-learning workflow addresses the challenges to real-time reservoir management in unconventionals, namely the lack of data (i.e., the time-frame for which the wells have been producing), and the significant computational expense of high-fidelity modeling. We do this by applying the machine-learning paradigm of transfer learning, where we combine fast, but less accurate reduced-order models with slow, but accurate high-fidelity models. We use the Patzek model (Proc Natl Acad Sci 11:19731–19736, 10.1073/pnas.1313380110, 2013) as the reduced-order model to generate synthetic production data and supplement this data with synthetic production data obtained from high-fidelity discrete fracture network simulations of the site of interest. Our results demonstrate that training with low-fidelity models is not sufficient for accurate forecasting, but transfer learning is able to augment the knowledge and perform well once trained with the small set of results from the high-fidelity model. Such a physics-informed machine-learning (PIML) workflow, grounded in physics, is a viable candidate for real-time history matching and production forecasting in a fractured shale gas reservoir.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM); USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
FE0024297; 89233218CNA000001
OSTI ID:
1829140
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1864995
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-20-30400; 21730; PII: 1023
Journal Information:
Scientific Reports, Journal Name: Scientific Reports Vol. 11 Journal Issue: 1; ISSN 2045-2322
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English

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