Full Barrel Analysis: A Simulation Model Interrogation Tool to Assess Sweep Efficiencies and Identify Targets for Improved Oil Recovery

Abstract A reservoir simulation post-processing tool, the Full Barrel Analysis, has been developed to assess sweep effectiveness and identify targets for improved oil recovery. The tool also quickly determines the potential for increased recovery via enhanced oil recovery methods or improved reservoir management. To perform these functions, the tool extracts information from simulation results and performs novel calculations using SAS®*. The calculations include sub-dividing the oil-in-place into eight categories, which are called ‘sections’ of the barrel, using a combination of cell binning and oil designation rules. The oil in the reservoir is then represented as a composite ‘barrel’, whose composition is represented by these eight sections. These sections used to describe this representative barrel are aligned with potential recovery methods, providing a fast and simple technique to screen reservoirs for recovery methods. The tool reports the volume of each section present in the composite barrel in a succinct format that can be easily interpreted by reservoir engineers and geoscientists. The binning and designation rules used to create the barrel sections allow the user to determine which areas of the field are under gas or water flood, the total immobile oil, the total non-economic oil and areas with improved reservoir management opportunities. In addition, the Full Barrel Analysis provides maps and 3-D data that are valuable tools to analyze the reservoir model for sweep performance, in-fill drilling opportunities, and QA/QC issues. The tool output is also useful for comparing development or geologic scenarios, giving insight into the impact on sweep effectiveness and future recovery potential via improved or enhanced oil recovery methods.