Coupled reservoir simulation and basin models - reservoir charging and fluid mixing
Dan Carruthers1, Zhangxin Chen2, Steve Larter2, Jennifer Adams2, and Ian Gates2
1Permedia Research, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
2University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Perhaps the most important unconstrained aspect of petroleum systems analysis concerns the charging and emplacement of petroleum to a structure or prospect. Charge rate, leakage and spill control petroleum residence time in the reservoir, which is fundamental for prediction of biodegradation rates, seal integrity (failure) and oil quality, all of which are affected by fluid mixing processes. While forward models can estimate plausible charge rates based on thermal histories, there are no field data proxies for charge rate which are necessary to constrain migration and charge models. To solve this problem, we are coupling high resolution, full physics
reservoir simulation protocols to full 4D basin models such that gradients in petroleum composition from models and from chemical analyses can be used to constrain charge rates. This new generation of hybrid reservoir simulator/basin models necessitates rapid high resolution fluid mixing solvers and multi-component fluids.
AAPG Search and Discover Article #90066©2007 AAPG Hedberg Conference, The Hague, The Netherlands
AAPG Search and Discover Article #90066©2007 AAPG Hedberg Conference, The Hague, The Netherlands