Reservoir Modeling With Global Scaleup

Abstract

Abstract We present a new global scale-up technology for calculating effective permeability and/or transmissibility. Using this innovative technology, we apply global flow solutions to improve scale-up accuracy. Global scale-up was proposed in the 1980s, and its benefits are well-described in the literature. However, global scale-up has not been adopted by the industry due to significant technical challenges in its application to real reservoir models. These models are often characterized by complex features like faults, pinch-outs, and isolated geobodies. Here, we overview several novel technologies that we have developed to overcome these difficulties. Numerical examples applying global scale-up to several reservoir models are presented. Comparisons with local scale-up methods currently used in the industry are made. The examples demonstrate that our new global scale-up technology leads to significant improvements in scale-up accuracy. In particular, when applied to challenging models with complicated fine-scale connectivity, the global scale-up method preserves the fine-scale connectivity more accurately than local scale-up methods. Sometimes, dramatic differences are seen. Moreover, we note that global scale-up can be especially effective when used in conjunction with unstructured grids. Accurate scale-up is a critical link between fine-scale geologic descriptions and coarse-scale reservoir simulation models used for development planning and reservoir management. Predictive reservoir models that are consistent with geologic and production data gathered at different scales are critical for these tasks. Global scale-up is a promising technique for building more accurate reservoir models.