Systems and Methods for Transient Thermal Process Simulation in Complex Subsurface Fracture Geometries
AssigneesSim Tech LLC, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
InventorsKamy Sepehrnoori, He Sun, Wei Yu, Jijun Miao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for simulating subterranean regions having multi-scale, complex fracture geometries. Non-intrusive embedded discrete fracture modeling formulations are applied in conjunction with commercial or in-house simulators to efficiently and accurately model subsurface characteristics including temperature profiles in regions having complex hydraulic fractures, complex natural fractures, or a combination of both.
Claims20
A system for simulating a subterranean region having fracture geometries, comprising:
- at least one processor to execute instructions to perform functions including to:
- input data representing the subterranean region and comprising matrix grid data and parameters associated with fractures in the subterranean region;
- produce a matrix grid using the input data to:
- identify geometric interactions between fractures and matrix cells in the matrix grid;
- create a new fracture cell for each segment of a fracture interacting with a matrix cell in the matrix grid;
- assign physical properties to each new created fracture cell;
- identify geometric relationships between the new created fracture cells and between the new created fracture cells and the matrix cells;
- calculate thermal variances between the new created fracture cells and the matrix cells;
- and
- generate a simulation of the subterranean region using the calculated thermal variances.
A method for simulating a subterranean region having fracture geometries, comprising:
- obtaining data representing the subterranean region and comprising matrix grid data and parameters associated with fractures in the subterranean region;
- in a computational domain, using the obtained data to produce a matrix grid by:
- identifying geometric interactions between fractures and matrix cells in the matrix grid;
- creating a new fracture cell for each segment of a fracture interacting with a matrix cell in the matrix grid;
- assigning physical properties to each new created fracture cell;
- identifying geometric relationships between the new created fracture cells and between the new created fracture cells and the matrix cells;
- calculating thermal variances between the new created fracture cells the matrix cells;
- and
- generating a simulation of the subterranean region using the calculated thermal variances.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.