The evaluation of heterogeneity variations on flow simulations applied to 3d scal models

Resumo

Heterogeneities within reservoir cores significantly influence fluid flow behavior, potentially causing premature rupture and distorting experimental outcomes. Neglecting to account for these heterogeneities when incorporating relative permeabilities into reservoir simulation models can render such models non-representative of real field conditions, thus impacting field performance predictions. Predicting behavior resulting from random heterogeneity distributions becomes challenging. Therefore, it is crucial to mitigate these effects by studying local heterogeneities to better understand their influence at larger scales. This study leverages CMG®, a well-established petroleum reservoir simulation software, to model lithology based on outcrop data. Synthetic heterogeneous plugs were simulated under various scenarios to assess their impact on flow parameters during SCAL experiments. Both single-rate and experiments with multiple flow rates were conducted on 3D plugs. The analysis focused on heterogeneity variability, examining net production and pressure differentials. Additionally, the study investigated how heterogeneity affected experiments with varying flow rates. The results highlight notable impacts observed through spot analysis of plugs representing smaller regions. Experiments with multiple flows demonstrated greater sensitivity to heterogeneity compared to prolonged experiments with a single flow. These findings suggest that such influences would be exponentially amplified in large oil fields, as supported by the presented data