Geoscale - reservoir simulation on a geological scale, part II

The main objective of GeoScale II is to continue the basic development of the `GeoScale technology' so that it becomes a super-fast simulation technology that can be used to simplify modeling workflows, speed up data integration and optimization workflows, aid in interactive planning, and improve management decisions. High relevance of the proposed research is ensured through the research group's portfolio of industry projects, through (inter)national academic collaboration, and through participation in the Center for Integrated Operations in the Petroleum Industry, a national center for research-based innovation at NTNU. Moreover, industrial benchmarks are designated as a separate work package with special emphasis on frequent contacts with software vendors and end-users in oil companies.

In the project we will attempt to close the knowledge gap between the current state of multiscale reservoir simulation and industry-standard solvers, and, in addition, extend the scope of multiscale simulation to applications where business decisions are made in real-time - applications that can only take advantage of simulation tools capable of computing almost instant flow responses.

The strategic funding received from the Research Council of Norway will enable SINTEF to advance the core of a technology that has many applications - but where each of the end-users at this point in time will not bear the financial burden of a further development of this core. The project will also allow SINTEF to avoid having to parcel out IP rights, thus hindering the development of a unified methodology. Longer term, we believe the research will give great benefits to Norwegian industry and research.

Key publications

1. S. Krogstad, K.-A. Lie, H. M. Nilsen, J. R. Natvig, B. Skaflestad, and J.E. Aarnes. A multiscale mixed finite-element solver for three-phase black-oil flow. Paper SPE 118993 presented at 2009 SPE Reservoir Simulation Symposium, The Woodlands, Texas, USA, 2-4 February.
2. S. Krogstad, V. L. Hauge, and A. F. Gulbransen. Adjoint multiscale mixed finite elements. Paper 119112 presented at 2009 SPE Reservoir Simulation Symposium, The Woodlands, Texas, USA, 2-4 February.
3. J. R. Natvig and K.-A. Lie. Fast computation of multiphase flow in porous media by implicit discontinuous Galerkin schemes with optimal ordering of elements. J. Comput. Phys, Volume 227, Issue 24, pp. 10108-10124, 2008. Doi: doi:10.1016/j.jcp.2008.08.024.