A Mixed Finite Element Framework for Modeling Coupled Fluid Flow and Reservoir Geomechanics
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Reservoir geomechanics is concerned with the simultaneous study of fluid flow and the mechanical response of the reservoir. Quantification of the state of deformation and stress in the reservoir is essential for the correct prediction of a number of processes, such as recovery from compaction drive, waterflooding, surface subsidence, seal integrity, hydrofracturing, sand production and well failure. The classical treatment of deformation of the reservoir through the rock compressibility is far from adequate, and the mechanical problem needs to be incorporated rigorously in the reservoir model. Theoretical and practical difficulties have prevented coupled geomechanical models from being used routinely in oil and gas reservoir simulation studies. Some of these challenges are the complex mechanical behavior of geomaterials, the strong coupling between the mechanical and fluid flow problems, and the fact that the reservoir mod- els become very computationally intensive. As a result, the modeling of coupled flow and geomechanics is relatively new to the oil industry.In this report, we present a new approach for the simulation of coupled reservoir geomechanics. The technical aspects that make our approach unique are: 1. The space and time discretization of the equations. The unknown variables are the pressure, the fluid velocity, and the rock displacements. We recognize that these variables are of very different nature, and need to be discretized differently. We propose a mixed finite element space discretization, which is stable, convergent, locally mass conservative, and employs a single computational grid. To ensure stability and robustness, we perform an implicit time integration of fluid flow equations. 2. The strategies for the solution of the coupled system. We compare different solution strategies, including the fully coupled approach, the usual (conditionally stable) iteratively coupled approach, and a new unconditionally stable sequential scheme. 3. The implementation in a reservoir simulator. Simulator has been developed and implemented in an object oriented fashion (using Diffpack libraries) with modular design for further development and enhanced debugging capabilities. We show several representative numerical simulations that illustrate the effectiveness of the approach.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Date created | June 2005 |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Jha, Birendra |
|---|---|
| Primary advisor | Juanes, Ruben |
| Degree granting institution | Stanford University, Department of Petroleum Engineering |
Subjects
| Subject | School of Earth Energy & Environmental Sciences |
|---|---|
| Genre | Thesis |
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Preferred citation
- Preferred Citation
- Jha, Birendra. (2005). A Mixed Finite Element Framework for Modeling Coupled Fluid Flow and Reservoir Geomechanics. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at: https://purl.stanford.edu/pr779cm9137
Collection
Master's Theses, Doerr School of Sustainability
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