Abstract
Numerical Reservoir Simulation has been used in the industry as a powerful production planning tool over the last 20 years, and its efficiency for reservoir production forecasts is very well known. Nevertheless, simulation models are the final result of multiple data sources representing considerable time efforts in model building and updating. This restricts the technique to processes and decisions that can only be held inside level of days, weeks and even months; and depending on the resolution of the geological description and the complexity of the fluid behavior, simulation runs could be very time consuming.
This paper address the possibility to use reservoir simulation while drilling to simulate the reservoir conditions in real-time and dynamically improve the well trajectory and completion strategy based on the well performance predictions. During this study a critical review of the techniques that can improve the reservoir simulation speed and the real-time model updates is presented.
To better quantify the impact of this technique, a synthetic model based on real information from a North Sea Field was used and the reservoir model was continuously updated by assuming new information from well logs and structural markers. Advanced simulation techniques, as boundary conditions and grid refinement, were combined to improve the speed of the simulation runs while preserving an acceptable level of accuracy in the well performance predictions. Multiple wells deviations and configurations can be planned using this methodology while drilling a well.
