PE:563

Introduction

Office: 3th Floor @ Engineering Labs building

Email: Essatabar@su.edu.ly
Phone: (+218)919734091

Fall (2024-2025)
• Tenth Semester
• PE 563 Reservoir Simulation (3 Units)
• Prerequisite: PE 461 “Applied Reservoir Engineering”
• No. of Hours per week=4 hrs
Class time
Tuesday 01:00 am-03:00 pm Place: Rock Lab(RL)
Wednesday 11:00 pm-01:00 pm Place: Rock Lab(RL)
 Objectives of Course
On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

• Explain the mathematical and computational concepts behind

commercial reservoir simulators

• Explain the physical laws that govern fluid flow in porous media

• Formulate single-phase and multi-phase flow in petroleum reservoirs

 Objectives of Course

• Solve the governing partial differential equations using finite

difference methods and interpret the potential numerical errors

• Use a commercial reservoir simulator for studying the reservoir

performance in response to different development strategies

• Develop some experience with history matching a reservoir

simulation model
 Course Syllabus
Basic concepts
Reservoir Simulation What, Why, and How.
Single and Multiphase Flow in Pours Media in 3D for Steady and
Unsteady Cases.
Finite Difference Method for Solving Diffusivity Equation
Simulator Classification
Data Preparation.
 History Matching (Model Verification)
Application in Reservoir Models in Field Development.
 Basic concepts
• Reservoir simulation is an area of reservoir engineering that,
combining physics, mathematics, and computer programming to a
reservoir model allows the analysis and the prediction of the fluid
behavior in the reservoir over time.

• It can be simply considered as the process of the behavior of fluid

flow in a petroleum reservoir system( including reservoir rock and
fluids, aquifer,surface and subsurface facilities) through the use of
either physical or mathematical models.

• It’s a valuable tool to understand the oil and gas reservoir

performance under various operating strategies.
 Reservoir simulation consists of:
1. a geological model in the form of a volumetric grid with cell/face
properties that describes the given porous rock formation
Reservoir simulation consists of:
2. a Flow model that describes how fluids flow in a porous medium,
typically given as a set of partial differential equations expressing
conservation of mass or volumes together with appropriate closure
relations

3. a Well model that describes the flow in and out of the reservoir,
including a model for flow within the well bore and any coupling to
flow control devices or surface facilities
Reservoir simulation is used for two main purposes:

• To optimize development plans for new fields

• To assist with operational and investment decisions.
Reservoir Simulation What, Why, and How.
What is Reservoir Simulation?
• The reservoir Simulation is a mathematical (numerical ) Model uses
equations which describe physical Laws such as Continuity equation
(Material balance), equation of state and Darcy’s fluid flow in porous
media.
• For example the material balance equation (MBE) is the simple
mathematical model which Represents the quantities of fluids
contained within the reservoir and accounts for fluids Entering or
leaving (through wells) the reservoir. But the MBE has many
limitations
What is Reservoir Simulation?

The 3D model considers:

• Reservoir structure/geometry
• Variation of rock properties
• Venation of fluid properties
• Well location and spacing
• Reservoir mechanism.
• Provide future forecast.
 Why Reservoir Simulation?
The reservoir model (simulation
model) is most affective tool of
RESERVOIR MANGMENT In which we
can predict future reservoir
performance under given scenario
(field development case) and be able
to perform an economic evaluation
for this given case.
 Why Reservoir Simulation?
• The primary objective in a reservoir management study of hydrocarbon
reservoirs is to determine the optimum conditions needed to maximize
the economic recovery of hydrocarbons from operated field.

• Reservoir flow modeling is the most methodology available for achieving

the primary reservoir management objective for hydrocarbon reservoirs.
 Who Contribute to Reservoir Modeling?
• TEAM WORK
• Many different disciplines ‫التخصصات‬contribute to the preparation of
the input data set of a flow simulation model.
• The information is integrated during the reservoir flow modeling
process, and the concept of the reservoir is quantified in the reservoir
simulator.
• Figure 1-1 illustrates the contributions different disciplines make to
reservoir flow modeling. One of the goals of recent technology
development is to improve the software used to integrate data from
different disciplines and to prepare shared earth models
 When We Can Start Reservoir Simulation
Study?
Ideally, the reservoir simulation study starts when the field has
production life from 5-10 Years or more (history match period), the
longer period is the more model reliability
 How Reservoir Simulation Study?
The main elements of a simulation study include
matching field history
making predictions (including a forecast based on the
existing operating strategy)
evaluating alternative operating scenarios
A description of the steps to undertake during a simulation
study is presented in the table below
Main steps in a reservoir simulation study
1 Reservoir, wells and plant technical limits
“Understand the recovery technical limit and current predicted
recovery, and then evaluate and select future recovery options (new
wells, improved oil recovery, enhanced oil recovery, etc) to maximise
economic recovery”
Static and Dynamic Reservoir models are key elements for evaluating
and selecting any future recovery options (infill wells, improved oil
recovery, enhanced oil recovery)
Reservoirs Models
1. Static Models
2. Dynamic Models
 1. Static models
• Static reservoir models are three-dimensional representations of the
geological structure, facies, and petrophysical properties of the
reservoir.
• They are based on data from seismic surveys, well logs, core samples,
and analogs.
• Static models are used to estimate the volume and distribution of
hydrocarbons in place,
• the heterogeneity and connectivity of the reservoir, and the initial
pressure and saturation conditions.
• Static models are often the starting point for building dynamic
models, but they can also be updated with dynamic data to improve
their accuracy and reliability.
 2. Dynamic models
• Dynamic reservoir models are mathematical simulations of the fluid
flow and pressure changes in the reservoir over time.

• They are based on static models, but they also incorporate data from
production history, well tests, formation tests, and fluid samples.

• Dynamic models are used to forecast the performance and recovery

of the reservoir under different development and management
strategies, such as well placement, completion, injection, and artificial
lift.

• Dynamic models can also be calibrated with historical data to match

the observed behavior of the reservoir and reduce uncertainties.