248 Reservoir Engineering

Objectives of reservoir simulation

Reservoir simulation attempts to replicate real-world processes and events that take
place in the reservoir based on available information. A typical simulation study fore-
casts well production rates, wateroil ratio, and gasoil ratio with time. Reservoir
pressure and fluid saturations at various locations and periods are predicted. Simula-
tion studies also replicate the fluid phase changes (vaporization and condensation) that
occur with changes in reservoir pressure and affect reservoir performance. The studies
indicate optimum number of wells that need to be drilled and their locations. The best
time to initiate secondary and tertiary recovery operations is studied by generating
what-if scenarios.
Reservoir simulation efforts can be quite intensive depending on the complexity
of the reservoir (stratified, fractured, faulted, and others), mode of recovery (primary,
secondary, or tertiary) and the answers sought for the study (pressure, well rate, water
breakthrough from thief zone, flow through fractures, etc.). Reservoir simulation pre-
dicts the performance of a well as well as the entire field. It provides a time frame for
economically operating the field. Confidence in prediction is achieved by matching
the results of simulation with production history of the reservoir that is available at the
time of study.
Typically, a reservoir simulation study seeks one or more of the following:
s Oil and gas in place estimates, and periodic updates based on new information
s Recovery efficiency of a reservoir under various development scenarios, including infill
drilling, waterflooding, and EOR operations
s Economic analysis and rate of return from the venture over the life of the reservoir
s Evaluation of marginal reservoirs, where small changes in reservoir performance can make
or break a project
s Suitability of a particular well at a given location to attain maximum productivity
s Well completion in selective layers to avoid water production
s Design and location of well patterns, including injectors and producers
s Design and capacity planning of surface facilities
s Spacing between wells to optimize production and maximize economic value
s Horizontal well design in terms of length, trajectory, and number of laterals
s Optimization of well rates in terms of high oil rate, low wateroil ratio (WOR) and low
gasoil ratio (GOR)
s Effects of gas evolution or water influx on recovery
s Optimization of waterflood based on the pattern, location, and rate of injection wells
s Optimization of EOR operations, including thermal, chemical, and other methods
s Areas of high oil saturation left after primary or secondary production
s Deliverability of a gas reservoir
s Optimization of gas injection in a gas condensate reservoir
s Study of water coning in a well followed by corrective action
s Forecast of the potential of a well following workover or stimulation
s Effects of reservoir stratifications, fractures, faults, pinchouts, and other heterogeneities on
reservoir performance
s Investigation of flow of oil and water across various regions within the reservoir as well as
across geologic layers
s Identification of root causes of a problematic well performance