--> ABSTRACT: Comparison of Simulation Results from Geologically Derived and Production Derived Fault Transmissibility Multipliers, by O'Connor-Wood, Victoria S.; Smith, Stewart ; Harris, Simon D.; Freeman, Steve R.; #90142 (2012)

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Comparison of Simulation Results from Geologically Derived and Production Derived Fault Transmissibility Multipliers

O'Connor-Wood, Victoria S.*1; Smith, Stewart 1; Harris, Simon D.1; Freeman, Steve R.1
(1) Earth Sciences, Rock Deformation Research Ltd, Leeds, United Kingdom.

Historically fault transmissibility multipliers have been generated by the reservoir engineer by tuning the simulation model to the dynamic data. This history matching process has often proved to produce acceptable results to explain the known production behavior. Typically the fault transmissibility multipliers applied are constant values across individual faults. This pattern is at odds with the observed permeability and thickness patterns known to occur within fault rocks within reservoirs.

The geological community has long advocated the use of variable fault transmissibility multipliers based on geologically driven concepts and data. Unfortunately the computation of geology based fault transmissibility multipliers used to be time consuming and the final result could not typically be tuned to dynamic data. In this contribution we apply a method that allows variable fault transmissibility multipliers to be tuned to dynamic data while retaining the sense of the physics behind the transmissibility relationships (which is not typically preserved with most implementations).

We compare the ability to achieve a history match by using both constant and variable fault transmissibility multipliers. We also show the impact on forward predictions on simulation behavior using the two different approaches. Finally we review in which reservoir cases applying constant versus variable fault transmissibility multipliers is likely to have a significant influence on the predicted behavior of the reservoir.

 

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90142 © 2012 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, April 22-25, 2012, Long Beach, California