TransGen
Home
Software
Department
Collaborators
Skills
Publications
Experience
Personal
Contact details

Fluxes in reservoir simulation models are calculated as a function of transmissibilities between pairs of grid-blocks. Typically, geological faults have only been incorporated in the model in terms of the geometric offsets of layers. Any effect that the fault-zone material itself might have on the flow is conventionally approximated by reducing the across-fault transmissibility by an adhoc factor, the Transmissibility Multiplier (with a value between 1 and 0). The absence of a clear methodology for calculating transmissibility multipliers has resulted in significant uncertainty in defining fault behaviour in reservoir simulation models.
TransGen uses a published, geologically-driven method for determining fault transmissibility multipliers as a function of known properties of the reservoir model (Manzocchi et al. 1999). The method predicts fault-zone properties using transformations based on the geometrical and flow properties of fault rocks from outcrop and core data. Fault-zone permeability and fault-zone thickness are estimated for every point on a mapped fault in a reservoir sequence. These estimates, in conjunction with the reservoir permeabilities and cell geometries, provide an objective calculation of transmissibility multipliers.
TransGen's functionality includes:
  • routines for interrogating an Eclipse™ model and explicitly identifying all fault surfaces
  • prediction of fault-zone properties based on a wide-ranging geological database
  • calculation of new transmissibilities based on the geologically-derived fault properties
  • a graphics module for interactive 3D display of the Eclipse™ model and the new fault-surface properties
  • output of fault properties as include files using Eclipse™ keywords for direct input into the simulation model's run file

The final release of TransGen - and the version embedded with TrapTester - contains a wide range of extra functionality. Plugins - code written by the user and executed within the system - exposes the internal data structures and provides huge flexibility in defining and calculating new relationships. The creation of "mini-models" allows the inclusion of features too small for the simulation grid e.g. fault zones and fault drag. The creation and sampling of correlated random fields allows systematic application of plugins for complex tasks. The 2-phase module performs calculation of 2-phase rock properties - capillary pressure and relative permeability curves are created from the upscaling of cells adjacent to fault faces.
Clockwise from left:
  • Fault properties and well paths
  • Streamlines visualised within TransGen
  • A mini-model showing a sub-resolution fault zone, and the complex connections that arise thru the zone

[Home] [Software] [Department] [Collaborators] [Skills] [Publications] [Experience] [Personal] [Contact details]