Reservoir Model Design: How to Build Good Reservoir Models

Instructors: Dr Mark Bentley (AGR TRACS International, United Kingdom) and Prof. Philip Ringrose (Equinor and NTNU, Norway)
Language: English
Level: Intermediate
Duration and formats:
Online: 2 live sessions of 4 hours CPD Points: 4
Classroom: 1 day CPD Points: 5

Course Description

This short course will provide an introduction to reservoir model design, covering the following main design elements:

  • Model purpose;
  • The rock model;
  • The property model;
  • Model scaling;
  • Handling uncertainty.

In this course, Mark Bentley and Philip Ringrose share their insights into building geological reservoir models, covering clastic and carbonate sedimentary depositional systems, as well as fractured reservoirs. The connection between geology and fluid flow is developed with a focus on designing fit-for-purpose models with the consideration of implications for single-phase and multiphase flow and with examples of application to oil and gas reservoirs and to CO2 storage. Integration of seismic data, well data and dynamic data with associated uncertainties are integral to the workflows and methods discussed. This is a shorter version of a 5-day course and so is intended as an introduction to the main concepts.

Course Objectives

Know how to approach a reservoir modelling task and assess the key design elements – distinguish between ‘good’ and ‘bad’.

Course Outline

  1. Introduction: Model Purpose (45 mins);
  2. Designing the Rock Model (60 mins);
  3. Property Model issues, Permeability and NTG vs TPM (90 mins);
  4. Model Scaling (45 mins);
  5. Handling Uncertainty (45 mins);
  6. Summing up: the Design Template.

Participants’ Profile

Geologists, geophysicists, petrophysicists, or reservoir engineers who have or wish to work in multi-disciplinary teams on reservoir development projects.

Prerequisites

Participants should have good knowledge of at least one component of multi-disciplinary reservoir modeling: e.g., geological modeling, geostatistics, petrophysics, rock physics, or reservoir simulation.

About the Instructors

Mark Bentley has spent most of his career working in or leading integrated study teams, initially with Shell and subsequently with TRACS (now part of AGR) where he currently designs and runs courses and directs the TRACS Training programme. His specialist fields of expertise are 3D reservoir modelling and scenario-based approaches to handling subsurface uncertainty and risk. Mark has served as a distinguished lecturer for the SPE and the EAGE, and has delivered training courses on every continent, except Antarctica.

Philip Ringrose is a Specialist in Petroleum Geoscience at Equinor. He has over 30 years of experience in reservoir modelling and field development projects. He is also Adjunct Professor in CO2 storage at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway. He has published widely on geology and flow in rock media and is Co-Editor of Petroleum Geoscience. Philip was elected as EAGE President in 2014/2015 and is active in the global development of applied geoscience and low-carbon energy solutions.