Patent · US Active

Method to improve reservoir simulation and recovery from fractured reservoirs

US8898046B2 · kind B2 · utility

8Cited by
8References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 9, 2011
Grant dateNov 25, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 11, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01V11/00
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for modeling flow properties over a series of time increments of a reservoir in an earth formation having a plurality of fractures is disclosed. The method includes: building a three-dimensional stress field representing stresses in the reservoir; building a three-dimensional discrete fracture network (NFM) having fracture flow properties using information obtained from a tool or changes to the stress field; running a flow simulation of the reservoir for a time increment using the NFM to model the flow properties of the reservoir for that time increment; computing a latest change in the three-dimensional stress field from the flow simulation; and incrementing the time increment and iterating the building the NFM using the latest change in the stress field, the running of the flow simulation using the latest NFM, and the computing a latest change in the stress field from the latest running of the flow simulation.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.