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Scaleup of reservoir-model relative permeability with a global method

Journal Article · · SPE Reservoir Engineering
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2118/29872-PA· OSTI ID:276186
Geoscientists and engineers commonly build geologic or geostatistical reservoir models that contain more than 10{sup 6} grid cells. For flow simulation, the number of grid cells must be reduced by a factor of 10 or more. Such scaling up necessarily involves a loss of information that must be restored through the use of effective or pseudorelative permeabilities. This paper describes an approach to generate such functions that, when combined with global absolute permeability scaleup, offers a significant improvement over existing dynamic pseudo methods that require extensive fine-grid simulation and that are very sensitive to flow conditions. The paper describes the technique in detail and demonstrates the procedure with one two-dimensional (2D) and one three-dimensional (3D) reservoir model waterflood simulation. In the latter case, the number of cells is reduced from 23,600 (fine scale) to 4,000 (coarse scale) with very little change in the water breakthrough and water-cut behavior.
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
276186
Journal Information:
SPE Reservoir Engineering, Journal Name: SPE Reservoir Engineering Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 11; ISSN 0885-9248; ISSN SREEEF
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English