University of Texas System

Sim Tech LLC

Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company

Exxonmobil Technology and Engineering Company

Yifei Xu

Kamy Sepehrnoori

Sha Miao

Wei Yu

Jijun Miao

Hao Bin Huang

Hao Huang

Scarlet A Castro

Priyesh Srivastava

Aakash S Bhowmick

Geologic modeling methods and systems may use design-space to design-space mapping to facilitate simulation grid generation for multiple interpretations of a subsurface region. As one example, one or more embodiments of a geologic modeling method may comprise: obtaining first and second geologic models having different structural interpretations of a subsurface region; mapping each of the geologic models to associated design space models representing an unfaulted subsurface region; determining a design-to-design space mapping from the first design space model to the second design space model; using said mapping to copy parameter values from the first design space model to the second of the design space model; gridding each of the design space models to obtain design space meshes; partitioning cells in the first and second design space meshes along faults; reverse mapping the partitioned design space meshes to the physical space to obtain first and second physical space simulation meshes.

Methods and systems of generating simulation grids for different structural interpretations

Systems and methods for simulating subterranean regions having multi-scale fracture geometries. Non-intrusive embedded discrete fracture modeling formulations are applied in conjunction with commercial simulators to efficiently and accurately model subsurface transient flow characteristics in regions having complex hydraulic fractures, complex natural fractures, or a combination of both, and geometries including corner point grids.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for transient flow simulation in complex subsurface fracture geometries

An illustrative geologic modeling method may comprise: obtaining a geologic model representing a subsurface region in physical space, the subsurface region being divided into multiple zones; sequentially generating a physical space simulation mesh for each of said multiple zones by: (a) mapping a current zone of the physical space geologic model to a current zone of a design space model representing a current zone of an unfaulted subsurface region; (b) gridding the design space model to obtain a design space mesh; (c) partitioning cells in the current zone of the design space mesh with faults mapped from the current zone of the physical space geologic model, thereby obtaining a partitioned design space mesh for the current zone; and (d) reverse mapping the partitioned design space mesh for the current zone to the physical space for the current zone.

Methods and systems for generating simulation grids via zone by zone mapping from design space

Systems and methods for simulating subterranean regions having multi-scale, complex fracture geometries. Non-intrusive embedded discrete fracture modeling formulations are applied in conjunction with commercial simulators to efficiently and accurately model subsurface characteristics in regions having complex hydraulic fractures, complex natural fractures, or a combination of both.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for discrete fracture simulation of complex subsurface fracture geometries

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Yifei Xu