# US 5,710,726 A · Semi-compositional simulation of hydrocarbon reservoirs > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,710,726 A - Document ID: US5710726A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/541,778 - Filed: 1995-10-10 - Granted: 1998-01-20 - Earliest claimed: 1995-10-10 - Assignees: Atlantic Richfield Company - Inventors: John D. Rowney; Michael D. Clonts - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5710726A ## CPC - G06T 17/05: Geographic models - E21B 49/00: Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A computer-operated method and corresponding system for simulating a reservoir to provide inputs to a surface model simulation is disclosed. The method of operating the simulation begins with the dividing of the reservoir into volume cells, and assigning reservoir parameters such as porosity and permeability of the rock to the particular cells. Temperature and pressure values are also assigned to each of the volume cells, and an equation of state is solved for the cells to determine densities of each of the components of the contents of the reservoirs, examples of such components including methane, ethane, and the like. A black oil simulation of the reservoir is then performed over a time step, to determine the fluxes of the vapor and liquid phases, as reservoir barrel volumes, at each cell boundary. The assigned density values are then used to transform the volumes determined by the black oil simulation to molar quantities for each component. One or more volume cell boundaries correspond to the well output, so that the transformation provides output quantities of the components from the reservoir over the time step; one or more volume cell boundaries may also correspond to injection sites. The method provides an efficient way of providing component mass quantities to downstream simulations, such as surface model simulations. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a computer system to determine the hydrocarbon output of a subsurface reservoir in mass units for a plurality of components of the contents of the reservoir, the plurality of components comprising at least first and second liquid hydrocarbon components and first and second gaseous hydrocarbon components, comprising the steps of: retrieving, from computer-readable memory, data corresponding to geometry of the reservoir; generating a computer representation of the reservoir as a plurality of cells arranged adjacent to one another so as to have boundaries therebetween; assigning temperature and pressure values to each of the cells; associating, with each of the plurality of cells, a density value for each of the plurality of components in each of the vapor and liquid phases; performing a black oil simulation to determine a vapor flux volume and a liquid flux volume across each of the boundaries of cells in the computer representation of the reservoir over a time step, wherein one of the boundaries of cells corresponds to the output from a well location of the reservoir; after the performing step, for each of the plurality of boundaries, transforming the vapor flux volume and liquid flux volume into the mass quantity of each of the components using the density values associated with the corresponding cells; and repeating the performing and transforming steps for a series of time steps. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each cell corresponds to a three-dimensional volume element of the reservoir. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: after the transforming step, performing an accounting of the masses of each of the plurality of components within each cell after the time step, to ensure coherency with the black oil simulation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the associating step comprises solving an equation of state, using the temperature and pressure values assigned to each of the plurality of cells. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: after the step of performing an accounting, repeating the step of solving an equation of state for each of the plurality of cells to adjust the density values for each of the plurality of cells. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: after the step of performing an accounting, identifying those of the plurality of cells for which the density values are likely to have changed over the time step; and repeating the step of solving an equation of state for each of the plurality of cells identified in the identifying step, to adjust the density values therefor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of components comprises methane, ethane, and propane. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: after the transforming step, applying the mass quantities of each of the plurality of components corresponding to the output from the well location of the reservoir to a surface model simulation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein one of the boundaries of cells corresponds to the input into an injection location of the reservoir. ### Claim 10 A computer system for determining the hydrocarbon output of a subsurface reservoir in mass units for a plurality of components of the contents of the reservoir, the plurality of components comprising at least first and second liquid hydrocarbon components and first and second gaseous hydrocarbon components, comprising: a computer-readable memory, for storing data corresponding to the geometry of a sub-surface reservoir, and to pressure and temperature values at locations in the reservoir; an output device; and a computer programmed to perform a sequence of steps comprising: retrieving, from computer-readable memory, data corresponding to geometry of the reservoir; generating a computer representation of the reservoir as a plurality of cells arranged adjacent to one another so as to have boundaries therebetween; assigning temperature and pressure values to each of the cells; associating, with each of the plurality of cells, a density value for each of the plurality of components in each of the vapor and liquid phases; performing a black oil simulation to determine a vapor flux volume and a liquid flux volume across each of the boundaries of cells in the computer representation of the reservoir over a time step, wherein one of the boundaries of cells corresponds to the output from a well location of the reservoir; after the performing step, for each of the plurality of boundaries, transforming the vapor flux volume and liquid flux volume into the mass quantity of each of the components using the density values associated with the corresponding cells; and repeating the performing and transforming steps for a series of time steps; and presenting to the output device a report indicating the results of the performing and transforming steps over the series of time steps. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein each cell corresponds to a three-dimensional volume element of the reservoir. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the sequence of steps further comprises: after the transforming step, performing an accounting of the masses of each of the plurality of components within each cell after the time step, to ensure coherency with the black oil simulation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the associating step comprises solving an equation of state, using the temperature and pressure values assigned to each of the plurality of cells. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the sequence of steps further comprises: after the step of performing an accounting, repeating the step of solving an equation of state for each of the plurality of cells to adjust the density values for each of the plurality of cells. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the sequence of steps further comprises: after the step of performing an accounting, identifying those of the plurality of cells for which the density values are likely to have changed over the time step; and repeating the step of solving an equation of state for each of the plurality of cells identified in the identifying step, to adjust the density values therefor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the sequence of steps further comprises: after the transforming step, applying the mass quantities of each of the plurality of components corresponding to the output from the well location of the reservoir to a surface model simulation. ### Claim 17 A computer-readable memory configured so that, when read and used by a computer, the computer is directed to determine the hydrocarbon output of a subsurface reservoir in mass units for a plurality of components of the contents of the reservoir, the plurality of components comprising at least first and second liquid hydrocarbon components and first and second gaseous hydrocarbon components, said computer directed by a plurality of operations comprising: retrieving, from a computer-readable memory, data corresponding to geometry of the reservoir; generating a computer representation of the reservoir as a plurality of cells arranged adjacent to one another so as to have boundaries therebetween; assigning temperature and pressure values to each of the cells; associating, with each of the plurality of cells, a density value for each of the plurality of components in each of the vapor and liquid phases; performing a black oil simulation to determine a vapor flux volume and a liquid flux volume across each of the boundaries of cells in the computer representation of the reservoir over a time step, wherein one of the boundaries of cells corresponds to the output from a well location of the reservoir; after the performing step, for each of the plurality of boundaries, transforming the vapor flux volume and liquid flux volume into the mass quantity of each of the components using the density values associated with the corresponding cells; and repeating the performing and transforming steps for a series of time steps. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer-readable memory of claim 17, wherein each cell corresponds to a three-dimensional volume element of the reservoir; wherein the associating step comprises solving an equation of state, using the temperature and pressure values assigned to each of the plurality of cells and wherein the sequence of operations further comprises: after the transforming step, performing an accounting of the masses of each component within each cell after the time step, to ensure coherency with the black oil simulation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The computer-readable memory of claim 17, wherein the sequence of operations further comprises: after the step of performing an accounting, identifying those of the plurality of cells for which the density values are likely to have changed over the time step; and repeating the step of solving an equation of state for each of the plurality of cells identified in the identifying step, to adjust the density values therefor.