US 8,731,891 B2Granted

Cluster 3D petrophysical uncertainty modeling

AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company

InventorsRoger R. Sung, Khalid S. Al-Wahabi

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Abstract

Reservoir properties or attributes such as water saturation, porosity and permeability are determined directly at each cell of a three dimensional grid of a subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir. Input parameters based on original data from petrophysical measurements and other attributes of the reservoir and its subsurface features are generated over a range of uncertainties for the individual cells. The predicted input parameters for the individual cells are provided as processing inputs for petrophysical algorithms. The input parameters at different measures of possible uncertainties for the cells of the reservoir are processed using cluster computers to determine on a cell-by-cell basis a number of possible scenarios or results for the reservoir attributes of interest. The determinations made for the different scenarios can then be assembled as postulated models for sections of interest of the reservoir grid, and the postulated models evaluated to more accurately obtain reservoir attributes over the reservoir, even for areas where no well intersects the reservoir.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A computer implemented method of computerized simulation, in a computer system including a master node, a plurality of processor nodes and a data memory, of a reservoir model of a reservoir property of a subsurface reservoir structure, the reservoir model being simulated being partitioned into a number of cells arranged in an organized system of cells, the simulation further being based on a petrophysical algorithm determining the reservoir property from predicted values of input parameters for the cells of the reservoir model, the predicted value of the input parameter being generated on a random basis and having a specified degree of uncertainty, the method comprising the computer processing steps of:

(a) receiving input parameter data about subsurface features of the cells and the reservoir in the master node;
(b) transferring the petrophysical algorithm from the master node to the processor nodes for determining a postulated value of the property for the cells of the reservoir model;
(c) distributing the input parameter data for cells of the reservoir model from the master node among the plurality of the processor nodes;
(d) determining postulated values of the reservoir property for the cells of the reservoir model in individual ones of the processor nodes according to the transferred petrophysical algorithm and different predicted values of the input parameters;
(e) transferring determined postulated values of the reservoir property for the cells of the reservoir model from the processor nodes to the master node for storage in the data memory on completion of the step of determining by the individual ones of the processor nodes;
and
(f) assembling in the data memory the determined postulated values of the reservoir property for the cells of the reservoir model.

4 more elements

A data processing system for computerized simulation of a reservoir model of a reservoir property of a subsurface reservoir structure, the reservoir model being simulated being partitioned into a number of cells arranged in an organized system of cells, the simulation further being based on a petrophysical algorithm determining the reservoir property from predicted values of input parameters for the cells of the reservoir model, the predicted value of the input parameter being generated on a random basis and having a specified degree of uncertainty, the data processing system comprising:

(a) a master node for performing the steps of:
(1) receiving input parameter data about subsurface features of the cells and the reservoir in the master node;
(2) transferring the petrophysical algorithm from the master node to a plurality of processor nodes for determining a postulated value of the property for the cells of the reservoir model;
(3) distributing the input parameter data for cells of the reservoir model from the master node among the plurality of the processor nodes;
(b) a data memory
(c) the plurality of processor nodes for performing the steps of:
(1) determining postulated values of the reservoir property for the cells of the reservoir model in individual ones of the processor nodes according to the transferred petrophysical algorithm and different predicted values of the input parameter;
(2) transferring determined postulated values of the reservoir property for the cells of the reservoir model from the processor nodes to the master node for storage in the data memory on completion of the step of determining by the individual ones of the processor nodes;
and
(d) the master node further performing the step of:
assembling in the data memory the determined postulated values of the reservoir property for the cells of the reservoir model.

8 more elements

A non-transitory data storage device having stored computer operable instructions for causing a data processing system comprising a master node, a plurality of processor nodes and a data memory to simulate a reservoir model of a reservoir property of the subsurface reservoir structure, the reservoir model being simulated being partitioned into a number of cells arranged in an organized system of cells, the simulation further being based on a petrophysical algorithm determining the reservoir property from predicted values of input parameters for the cells of the reservoir model, the predicted value of the input parameter being generated on a random basis and having a specified degree of uncertainty, the instructions stored in the data storage device causing the data processing system to perform the following steps:

(a) receiving input parameter data about subsurface features of the cells and the reservoir in the master node;
(b) transferring the petrophysical algorithm from the master node to the processor nodes for determining a postulated value of the property for the cells of the reservoir model;
(c) distributing the input parameter data for the cells of the reservoir model from the master node among the plurality of the processor nodes;
(d) determining postulated values of the reservoir property for the cells of the reservoir model individual ones of the processor nodes;
(e) transferring determined postulated values of the reservoir property for the cells of the reservoir model from the processor nodes to the master node for storage in the data memory on completion of the step of determining by the individual ones of the processor nodes;
and
(f) assembling in the data memory the determined postulated values of the reservoir property for the cells of the reservoir model.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.