# US 9,753,180 B2 · Method for multiphase flow upscaling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,753,180 B2 - Document ID: US9753180B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/374,503 - Filed: 2013-02-20 - Published: 2015-01-15 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-03-28 - Assignees: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company - Applicants: Satomi Suzuki - Inventors: Satomi Suzuki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9753180B2 ## CPC - G01V 20/00: Geomodelling in general - E21B 43/16: Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons - G01V 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass - G06F 30/28: using fluid dynamics, e.g. using Navier-Stokes equations or computational fluid dynamics [CFD] - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A method of multiphase flow upscaling of a fine scale geologic model. A local domain is defined from the fine scale geologic model. The local domain includes adjacent upstream and downstream coarse grid domains and a concatenated domain adjacent the upstream coarse grid domain. A coarse grid interface is defined between the upstream coarse grid domain and the downstream coarse grid domain. Boundary conditions are imposed on various faces of the components of the local domain. Fluid flow is simulated through the local domain for a plurality of time steps until the local domain is completely flooded. A fine scale solution of saturation and flow rate of individual fluid phases across the coarse grid interface is recorded at each time step. A pseudo-function is constructed by post-processing results of the simulation of fluid flow. The fine scale geologic model is upscaled to a coarse scale geologic model using the pseudo-function. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of multiphase flow upscaling of a fine scale geologic model, comprising: from the fine scale geologic model, defining a local domain for generating a dynamic pseudo-function, the local domain including an upstream coarse grid domain adjacent a downstream coarse grid domain, and a concatenated domain adjacent the upstream coarse grid domain, the local domain being configured such that fluid flow to be modeled therethrough flows first through the concatenated domain, then through the upstream coarse grid domain, and lastly through the downstream coarse grid domain, wherein a coarse grid interface is defined between the upstream coarse grid domain and the downstream coarse grid domain; imposing a constant pressure boundary condition of P=1 and a saturation condition of Sd=1 on an upstream face of the concatenated domain; imposing a constant pressure boundary condition of P=0 and a saturation condition of Sd=0 on a downstream face of the downstream coarse grid domain; imposing a no-flow boundary condition on faces of the concatenated domain, the upstream coarse grid domain, and the downstream coarse grid domain parallel to a direction of fluid flow; simulating fluid flow through the local domain for a plurality of time steps until the local domain is completely flooded; at each time step, recording a fine scale solution of saturation and flow rate of individual fluid phases across the coarse grid interface; constructing a pseudo-function by post-processing results of the simulation of fluid flow; and upscaling the fine scale geologic model to a coarse scale geologic model using the pseudo-function. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the upstream coarse grid domain corresponds to a domain of a gridblock of a coarse scale geologic model where the pseudo-function is to be generated. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the concatenated domain is a domain of a gridblock of a coarse scale geologic model. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the concatenated domain is a domain of a plurality of gridblocks of a coarse scale geologic model. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the concatenated domain is a domain of a portion of a gridblock of a coarse scale geologic model. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein constructing the pseudo-function uses a dynamic method. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the dynamic method is a pore volume weighted method. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the dynamic method is a Kyte and Berry method. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the dynamic method comprises one of a weighted relative permeability method, a vertical equilibrium (VE) method, a Stone method, a Kirchoff's Law method, a steady-state simulation method, a transmissibility weighted method, and a Hewett and Archer method. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: predicting at least one of a presence, location, and amount of hydrocarbons in the subsurface formation; and managing hydrocarbons in the subsurface formation based on said prediction. ### Claim 11 A method of multiphase flow upscaling of a fine scale geologic model, comprising: from the fine scale geologic model, defining a local domain for generating a dynamic pseudo-function, the local domain including an upstream coarse grid domain adjacent a downstream coarse grid domain, and a concatenated domain adjacent the upstream coarse grid domain, the local domain being configured such that fluid flow to be modeled therethrough flows first through the concatenated domain, then through the upstream coarse grid domain, and lastly through the downstream coarse grid domain, wherein a coarse grid interface is defined between the upstream coarse grid domain and the downstream coarse grid domain; imposing a set of boundary conditions on an upstream face of the concatenated domain and a downstream face of the downstream coarse grid domain; imposing a no-flow boundary condition on faces of the concatenated domain, the upstream coarse grid domain, and the downstream coarse grid domain parallel to a direction of fluid flow; simulating fluid flow through the local domain for a plurality of time steps until the local domain is completely flooded; at each time step, recording a fine scale solution of saturation and flow rate of individual fluid phases across the coarse grid interface; constructing a pseudo-function by post-processing results of the simulation of fluid flow; and upscaling the fine scale geologic model to a coarse scale geologic model using the pseudo-function. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the set of boundary conditions comprises a flux rate boundary condition. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the set of boundary conditions comprises a pressure boundary condition. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the upstream coarse grid domain corresponds to a domain of a gridblock of a coarse scale geologic model where the pseudofunction is to be generated. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the concatenated domain is a domain of a gridblock of a coarse scale geologic model. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein constructing the pseudo-function uses a dynamic method. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the dynamic method is a pore volume weighted method. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the dynamic method is a Kyte and Berry method. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: predicting at least one of a presence, location, and amount of hydrocarbons in the subsurface formation; and managing hydrocarbons in the subsurface formation based on said prediction. ### Claim 20 A system for multiphase flow upscaling of a fine scale geologic model, the system comprising: a processor; a storage medium; and a computer application accessible by the processor and stored on at least one of the storage medium and the processor, the computer application adapted to: from the fine scale geologic model, define a local domain to generate a dynamic pseudo-function, the local domain including an upstream coarse grid domain adjacent a downstream coarse grid domain, and a concatenated domain adjacent the upstream coarse grid domain, the local domain being configured such that fluid flow to be modeled therethrough flows first through the concatenated domain, then through the upstream coarse grid domain, and lastly through the downstream coarse grid domain, wherein a coarse grid interface is defined between the upstream coarse grid domain and the downstream coarse grid domain; impose a constant pressure boundary condition of P=1 and a saturation condition of Sd=1 on an upstream face of the concatenated domain; impose a constant pressure boundary condition of P=0 and a saturation condition of Sd=0 on a downstream face of the downstream coarse grid domain; impose a no-flow boundary condition on faces of the concatenated domain, the upstream coarse grid domain, and the downstream coarse grid domain parallel to a direction of fluid flow; simulate fluid flow through the local domain for a plurality of time steps until the local domain is completely flooded; at each time step, record a fine scale solution of saturation and flow rate of individual fluid phases across the coarse grid interface; construct a pseudo-function by post-processing results of the simulation of fluid flow; and upscale the fine scale geologic model to a coarse scale geologic model using the pseudo-function. ### Claim 21 A computer program product having computer executable logic recorded on a tangible, machine readable medium, the computer program product comprising: code for defining, from the fine scale geologic model, a local domain for generating a dynamic pseudo-function, the local domain including an upstream coarse grid domain adjacent a downstream coarse grid domain, and a concatenated domain adjacent the upstream coarse grid domain, the local domain being configured such that fluid flow to be modeled therethrough flows first through the concatenated domain, then through the upstream coarse grid domain, and lastly through the downstream coarse grid domain, wherein a coarse grid interface is defined between the upstream coarse grid domain and the downstream coarse grid domain; code for imposing a constant pressure boundary condition of P=1 and a saturation condition of Sct=1 on an upstream face of the concatenated domain; code for imposing a constant pressure boundary condition of P=0 and a saturation condition of Sct=0 on a downstream face of the downstream coarse grid domain; code for imposing a no-flow boundary condition on faces of the concatenated domain, the upstream coarse grid domain, and the downstream coarse grid domain parallel to a direction of fluid flow; code for simulating fluid flow through the local domain for a plurality of time steps until the local domain is completely flooded; code for recording, at each time step, a fine scale solution of saturation and flow rate of individual fluid phases across the coarse grid interface; code for constructing a pseudo-function by post-processing results of the simulation of fluid flow; and code for upscaling the fine scale geologic model to a coarse scale geologic model using the pseudo-function. ### Claim 22 A method of managing hydrocarbon resources, comprising: from a fine scale geologic model, defining a local domain for generating a dynamic pseudo-function, the local domain including an upstream coarse grid domain adjacent a downstream coarse grid domain, and a concatenated domain adjacent the upstream coarse grid domain, the local domain being configured such that fluid flow to be modeled therethrough flows first through the concatenated domain, then through the upstream coarse grid domain, and lastly through the downstream coarse grid domain, wherein a coarse grid interface is defined between the upstream coarse grid domain and the downstream coarse grid domain; imposing a constant pressure boundary condition of P=1 and a saturation condition of Sd=1 on an upstream face of the concatenated domain; imposing a constant pressure boundary condition of P=0 and a saturation condition of Sd=0 on a downstream face of the downstream coarse grid domain; imposing a no-flow boundary condition on faces of the concatenated domain, the upstream coarse grid domain, and the downstream coarse grid domain parallel to a direction of fluid flow; simulating fluid flow through the local domain for a plurality of time steps until the local domain is completely flooded; at each time step, recording a fine scale solution of saturation and flow rate of individual fluid phases across the coarse grid interface; constructing a pseudo-function by post-processing results of the simulation of fluid flow; upscaling the fine scale geologic model to a coarse scale geologic model using the pseudo-function; and managing hydrocarbon resources using the coarse scale geologic model. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein managing hydrocarbon resources comprises extracting hydrocarbons from a subsurface region.