Next Generation Multiscale Methods for Reservoir Simulation

This project aims to widen the range of possible applications of multiscale technology by providing significant speedup of traditional reservoir engineering workflows and enabling the use of reservoir simulation in new workflows in which one currently mus t resort to proxy models or empirical correlations. Multiscale technology has the potential to provide fast computation of approximate, but representative flow solutions that can be used to verify parameter and model choices early in the reservoir charact erization process. To achieve this, the project will address the following research challenges: (1) Develop multiscale methods that are flexible with respect to the size and shape of coarse and fine grid blocks. Develop suitably prescribed boundary condit ions on interfaces of irregularly-shaped coarse blocks, coarse-grid operators that produce high quality coarse-scale solutions, as well as fast converging iterative schemes for coupled pressure and transport. (2) Construct algorithms for automatic coarsen ing of complex models that adapt to important features such as wells, short-range and long-range geological heterogeneity, and faults. (3) Investigate concurrency of multiscale methods and develop prototype implementations that fully utilize multi-core an d many-core hardware to scale well on current and future hardware architectures. (4) Provide proof-of-concept prototypes of workflows that utilize variable-fidelity multiscale simulation to improve reservoir characterization, uncertainty quantification, a nd production optimization. For Schlumberger and its customers, the main benefit from the project will be improved performance in simulation software available for the Petrel platform. In a wider perspective, the power and flexibility of the multiscale f ramework can provide easy-to-use simulation-based workflows across many domains. Rapid deployment in the INTERSECT simulator on the Petrel platform give the proposed innovation a short time-to-market.