SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering
Volume 12, Number 2, April 2009, pp. 218-231

SPE-105378-PA

Multiphysics and Multiscale Methods for Modeling Fluid Flow Through Naturally Fractured Carbonate Karst Reservoirs

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DOI  More information 10.2118/105378-PA http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/105378-PA

Citation

  • Popov, P., Qin, G., Bi., L., Efendiev, Y., Kang, Z., and Li, J. 2009. Multiphysics and Multiscale Methods for Modeling Fluid Flow Through Naturally Fractured Carbonate Karst Reservoirs. SPE Res Eval & Eng  12 (2): 218-231. SPE-105378-PA.

Discipline Categories

  • 6.5 Reservoir Simulation

Summary

Modeling and numerical simulations of Carbonate karst reservoirs is a challenging problem because of the presence of vugs and caves which are connected through fracture networks at multiple scales. In this paper, we propose a unified approach to this problem by using the Stokes-Brinkman equations which combine both Stokes and Darcy flows. These equations are capable of representing porous media (porous rock) as well as free-flow regions (fractures, vugs, and caves) in a single system of equations. The Stokes-Brinkman equations also generalize the traditional Darcy-Stokes coupling without sacrificing the modeling rigor. Thus, it allows us to use a single set of equations to represent multiphysics phenomena on multiple scales. The local Stokes-Brinkman equations are used to perform accurate scale-up. We present numerical results for permeable rock matrix populated with elliptical vugs and we consider upscaling to two different coarse-scale grids--5×5 and 10×10. Both constant and variable background permeability matrices are considered and the effect the vugs have on the overall permeability is evaluated. The Stokes-Brinkman equations are also used to study several vug/cave configurations which are typical of Tahe oilfield in China.

© 2009. Society of Petroleum Engineers

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History

  • Original manuscript received: 29 November 2006
  • Meeting paper published: 11 March 2007
  • Revised manuscript received: 23 October 2008
  • Manuscript approved: 27 November 2008
  • Published online: 15 April 2009
  • Version of record: 15 April 2009