Reservoir simulation

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Reservoir simulation is an area of reservoir engineering in which computer models are used to predict the flow of fluids (typically, oil, water, and gas) through porous media.

The creation of models of oil fields and the implementation of calculations of field development on their basis is one of the main areas of activity of engineers and oil researchers. On the basis of geological and physical information about the properties of an oil, gas or gas condensate field, consideration of the capabilities of the systems and technologies for its development create quantitative ideas about the development of the field as a whole. A system of interrelated quantitative ideas about the development of a field is a model of its development, which consists of a reservoir model and a model of a field development process. Layer models and processes for extracting oil and gas from them are always clothed in a mathematical form, i.e. characterized by certain mathematical relationships. The main task of the engineer engaged in the calculation of the development of an oil field is to draw up a calculation model based on individual concepts derived from a geological-geophysical study of the field, as well as hydrodynamic studies of wells. Generally speaking, any combination of reservoir models and development process can be used in an oil field development model, as long as this combination most accurately reflects reservoir properties and processes. At the same time, the choice of a particular reservoir model may entail taking into account any additional features of the process model and vice versa.

The reservoir model should be distinguished from its design scheme, which takes into account only the geometric shape of the reservoir. For example, a reservoir model may be a stratified heterogeneous reservoir. In the design scheme, the reservoir with the same model of it can be represented as a reservoir of a circular shape, a rectilinear reservoir, etc.