Primera Reservoir at London South Bank University Event

Primera Reservoir has always had an active presence at university events around the UK. Being in contact with the future petroleum engineers and offering our assistance in any possible manner is something we have always strived to do. In this regard, we were recently invited to present at London South Bank University (LSBU) by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Student Chapter.

During the event, the SPE board members Alejandro Primera and Jesus Aponte presented a seminar entitled Numerical Reservoir Simulation: State of Art and Future. The event was aimed to guide the students through the fundamentals of Numerical Simulation, the latest innovations and how to integrated Asset Modelling in the process. The seminar was followed by a well-received Q&A session, allowing an opportunity for the Bachelors and Masters Students from LSBU to quiz the presenters and develop their understanding of Reservoir Engineering and Reservoir Simulation – from engineering specifics to the use of multiple applications.

As working professionals, we believe that it is important to engage with the next generation and help students in making informed choices for their careers. We will continue to have an active and effective presence assisting students at university seminars around the UK.

More about Integrated Asset Modelling

Integrated Asset Modelling (IAM) is the modelling and integration of the entire subsurface and surface elements of a project. In most instances it requires multidisciplinary expertise ranging from exploration to production. IAM can be used to bridge the gap between each isolated study of facilities. Thus creating an integrated, optimal solution through the modelling of a complete production system from reservoir to surface network.

The resulting integrated models form a single flowing system solution reduces the risks associated to decision making during field development and management.

 Figure 1 : Illustration of IAM at field level

Integration of surface and subsurface simulators

There are numerous types of simulators available in the oil and gas industry today. Most simulators have similar capacities; however some are able to deliver more advanced capabilities in certain aspects of subsurface or surface modelling. In this regard, choosing the most suitable simulator for a project can be vital.

At each stage of production management, different analytical or numerical simulators can be used. Below is an illustration of some analytical and numerical simulators which can be used at each stage of subsurface and surface levels.

Figure 2: Use of simulators in IAM

Advantages of IAM

The main benefits provided by integrated asset modelling can be seen in the figure below.

 Figure 3: Main benefits associated with IAM

What does the future hold?

Despite the extraordinary advances and breakthroughs in reservoir simulation modelling in the recent decades, there is still room for improvements in some areas. Reservoir engineer simulators are working towards the creation of faster models with higher geological resolutions. There are numerous studies currently being focused on improving the efficiency and speed of solvers in simulators. The most recent advances in reservoir simulation have mainly been in the areas of speed and accuracy, coupled fluid flow and geo-mechanical stress model as well as fluid flow modelling under thermal stress.