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Development of Finite Difference Explicit and Implicit Numerical Reservoir Simulator for Modelling Single Phase Flow in Porous Media

Received: 26 June 2018    Accepted: 4 October 2018    Published: 29 October 2018
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Abstract

Every petroleum reservoir requires some means of predicting future performances as well as optimizing recovery of hydrocarbons under various operating conditions. Moreover, there is a need to simulate fluid flow in porous media due to the uncertainty and heterogeneity that is associated with petroleum reservoirs. Therefore, this study developed 1D finite difference explicit and implicit numerical reservoir simulator for modeling single phase flow in porous media. The explicit and implicit simulator developments consist of physical modeling, mathematical modeling, discretization of the models with finite difference scheme and transformation of the models into computer algorithms. Matlab codes were written to describe the fluid flow process to obtain the reservoir pressure distributions for each grid block at each timestep calculation. The explicit formulation linear equation was solved by the direct method while the implicit method was solved by the Jacobi iterative method. The numerical examples graphical plots generated from the simulator illustrate the average reservoir pressure depletion for the finite difference grid blocks. The plots for both the explicit and implicit method indicate decline in average reservoir pressure with time. The explicit and implicit simulators show that the implicit formulation is unconditionally stable than the explicit formulation. This is because the explicit method under certain conditions generates errors in the numerical solutions which tend to go zero during subsequent timestep calculations. Additionally, the porosity sensitivity analyses performed show that the average reservoir pressure decline as the porosity decreases from 30% to 10%. Material balance method was used to determine the average reservoir pressure decline for a one-year production period. The estimated recovery factor at the bubble point pressure is 0.68% of the original oil in place. This low recovery factor is a characteristic of an expansion-drive reservoir which has the least efficient recovery mechanism. Finally, the 1D explicit and implicit finite difference numerical simulators for predicting single phase flow reservoir pressure distributions during production periods are stepping stone towards implementing multiphase fluid flow formulations.

Published in Earth Sciences (Volume 7, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.earth.20180706.11
Page(s) 242-259
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Explicit and Implicit Simulators, Material Balance Method, Jacobi Iterative Method, Explicit and Implicit Formulation, Numerical Simulator

References
[1] Aziz, K. and Settari, A., Petroleum Reservoir Simulation, Applied Science Publishers, 1979.
[2] Zhangxin Chen, Mathematical Techniques in Oil Recovery, SIAM, 2007.
[3] T. Ahmed (2006), Reservoir Engineering Handbook, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Richardson, TX.
[4] Z. Chen, J. Adams, D. Carruthers, H. Chen, I. Gates, G. Huan, S. Larter, W. Li, and G. Zhou (2007b), Coupled reservoir simulation and basin models: Reservoir charging and fluid mixing, to appear.
[5] I. Gates (2007), Basic Reservoir Engineering, in progress.
[6] The MathWorks, Inc., MATLAB: The Language of Technical Computing, Getting Started with MATLAB Version 6, c cc COPYRIGHT 1984 – 2001.
[7] Ertekin, T., Abou-Kassem, J. H., and King, G. R., Basic Applied Reservoir Simulation, SPE Textbook Volume 10, 2007.
[8] Abbas, F., Thermodynamics of Hydrocarbon Reservoirs, McGraw-Hill, 2006.
[9] Abou-Kassem, J. H., Farouq Ali, S. M., and Islam, M. R., Petroleum Reservoir Simulation: A Basic Approach, Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, TX, USA, 2006.
[10] Jaan Kiusalaas, Numerical methods in engineering with Matlab®. The Pennsylvania State University, Cambridge University press, New York, 2006.
[11] Ferreira, A. J. M. (2009). MATLAB Codes for Finite Element Analysis. Springer. ISBN 978-1-4020-9199-5.
[12] Brian R. Hunt, Ronald L. Lipsman and Jonathan M. Rosenberg, A Guide to MATLAB®: for Beginners and Experienced Users: Third Edition, 2014.
[13] Dake, L. P., Fundamentals of Reservoir Engineering, Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2010.
[14] Fanchi, J. R., Principles of Applied Reservoir Simulation, Houston, Tex, Gulf Pub, 2008.
[15] Tarek., Reservoir Engineering Handbook, Third Edition, Gulf Professional Publishing, 2006.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Aphu Elvis Selase, Brantson Eric Thompson, Addo Bright Junior, Akunda Doreen. (2018). Development of Finite Difference Explicit and Implicit Numerical Reservoir Simulator for Modelling Single Phase Flow in Porous Media. Earth Sciences, 7(6), 242-259. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20180706.11

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    ACS Style

    Aphu Elvis Selase; Brantson Eric Thompson; Addo Bright Junior; Akunda Doreen. Development of Finite Difference Explicit and Implicit Numerical Reservoir Simulator for Modelling Single Phase Flow in Porous Media. Earth Sci. 2018, 7(6), 242-259. doi: 10.11648/j.earth.20180706.11

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    AMA Style

    Aphu Elvis Selase, Brantson Eric Thompson, Addo Bright Junior, Akunda Doreen. Development of Finite Difference Explicit and Implicit Numerical Reservoir Simulator for Modelling Single Phase Flow in Porous Media. Earth Sci. 2018;7(6):242-259. doi: 10.11648/j.earth.20180706.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.earth.20180706.11,
      author = {Aphu Elvis Selase and Brantson Eric Thompson and Addo Bright Junior and Akunda Doreen},
      title = {Development of Finite Difference Explicit and Implicit Numerical Reservoir Simulator for Modelling Single Phase Flow in Porous Media},
      journal = {Earth Sciences},
      volume = {7},
      number = {6},
      pages = {242-259},
      doi = {10.11648/j.earth.20180706.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20180706.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.earth.20180706.11},
      abstract = {Every petroleum reservoir requires some means of predicting future performances as well as optimizing recovery of hydrocarbons under various operating conditions. Moreover, there is a need to simulate fluid flow in porous media due to the uncertainty and heterogeneity that is associated with petroleum reservoirs. Therefore, this study developed 1D finite difference explicit and implicit numerical reservoir simulator for modeling single phase flow in porous media. The explicit and implicit simulator developments consist of physical modeling, mathematical modeling, discretization of the models with finite difference scheme and transformation of the models into computer algorithms. Matlab codes were written to describe the fluid flow process to obtain the reservoir pressure distributions for each grid block at each timestep calculation. The explicit formulation linear equation was solved by the direct method while the implicit method was solved by the Jacobi iterative method. The numerical examples graphical plots generated from the simulator illustrate the average reservoir pressure depletion for the finite difference grid blocks. The plots for both the explicit and implicit method indicate decline in average reservoir pressure with time. The explicit and implicit simulators show that the implicit formulation is unconditionally stable than the explicit formulation. This is because the explicit method under certain conditions generates errors in the numerical solutions which tend to go zero during subsequent timestep calculations. Additionally, the porosity sensitivity analyses performed show that the average reservoir pressure decline as the porosity decreases from 30% to 10%. Material balance method was used to determine the average reservoir pressure decline for a one-year production period. The estimated recovery factor at the bubble point pressure is 0.68% of the original oil in place. This low recovery factor is a characteristic of an expansion-drive reservoir which has the least efficient recovery mechanism. Finally, the 1D explicit and implicit finite difference numerical simulators for predicting single phase flow reservoir pressure distributions during production periods are stepping stone towards implementing multiphase fluid flow formulations.},
     year = {2018}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Development of Finite Difference Explicit and Implicit Numerical Reservoir Simulator for Modelling Single Phase Flow in Porous Media
    AU  - Aphu Elvis Selase
    AU  - Brantson Eric Thompson
    AU  - Addo Bright Junior
    AU  - Akunda Doreen
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    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20180706.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.earth.20180706.11
    T2  - Earth Sciences
    JF  - Earth Sciences
    JO  - Earth Sciences
    SP  - 242
    EP  - 259
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-5982
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20180706.11
    AB  - Every petroleum reservoir requires some means of predicting future performances as well as optimizing recovery of hydrocarbons under various operating conditions. Moreover, there is a need to simulate fluid flow in porous media due to the uncertainty and heterogeneity that is associated with petroleum reservoirs. Therefore, this study developed 1D finite difference explicit and implicit numerical reservoir simulator for modeling single phase flow in porous media. The explicit and implicit simulator developments consist of physical modeling, mathematical modeling, discretization of the models with finite difference scheme and transformation of the models into computer algorithms. Matlab codes were written to describe the fluid flow process to obtain the reservoir pressure distributions for each grid block at each timestep calculation. The explicit formulation linear equation was solved by the direct method while the implicit method was solved by the Jacobi iterative method. The numerical examples graphical plots generated from the simulator illustrate the average reservoir pressure depletion for the finite difference grid blocks. The plots for both the explicit and implicit method indicate decline in average reservoir pressure with time. The explicit and implicit simulators show that the implicit formulation is unconditionally stable than the explicit formulation. This is because the explicit method under certain conditions generates errors in the numerical solutions which tend to go zero during subsequent timestep calculations. Additionally, the porosity sensitivity analyses performed show that the average reservoir pressure decline as the porosity decreases from 30% to 10%. Material balance method was used to determine the average reservoir pressure decline for a one-year production period. The estimated recovery factor at the bubble point pressure is 0.68% of the original oil in place. This low recovery factor is a characteristic of an expansion-drive reservoir which has the least efficient recovery mechanism. Finally, the 1D explicit and implicit finite difference numerical simulators for predicting single phase flow reservoir pressure distributions during production periods are stepping stone towards implementing multiphase fluid flow formulations.
    VL  - 7
    IS  - 6
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • College of Public Administration, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

  • School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, China

  • Department of Economics and Geography & Resource Development, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana

  • College of Public Administration, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

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