Lessons Learned in Using Open-Source Simulation Software on Real Asset Models

• DOI: 10.2118/223851-ms
• Publication Date: 2025-03-18T04:18:09Z
• Authors: Edel Reiso; Haakon Hoegstoel; Vegard Kippe; Trygve Kløv; Jan Inge Logstein; Alf Birger Rustad; Torbjørn Skille; Atgeirr Flø Rasmu...; Tor Harald Sandve; Markus Blatt

Abstract An open-source flow simulator (OPM Flow) has been developed for modelling of flow in porous media. This is an extended black oil simulator, including thermal modelling, salinity, and CO2 storage modelling in aquifers with several corresponding and extended EOS functionalities. The OPM Flow simulator has been implemented on several real asset models for hydrocarbon production, for ensembles of simulation models. The simulator has also been used for CCS in saline aquifers (Carbon Capture and Storage). This paper describes the experiences in using open-source simulation software for studies on real producing assets. OPM Flow supports Multi Segment Well model and flow control modelling, hysteresis, gas tracer, reservoir coupling, network modelling, gas lift optimization. There is an on-going effort to fully support LGR and reservoir coupling. Some of these features are present in the real asset models presented in this paper. The open-source simulator is based on efficient numerical methods, which allows for the possibility to simulate large simulation models with many and complex wells. Simulation results for benchmarking cases indicate that OPM Flow runs have reduced computation time, both for serial and parallel runs and the parallelization scales well. This is illustrated for the asset model cases presented in this paper. The use of open-source software for reservoir simulations on real asset models requires good maintenance, support and stability of the software. A robust maintenance and support solution based on open-source development has been established, to support the implementation of OPM Flow on the selected operating assets. This has also been important for further developments and improvements of the modelling features for the different assets presented in this paper. This paper presents the application of an open-source flow simulator and discusses the results for several real asset simulation models. The physics, functionalities and modelling challenges for the considered asset models is investigated. Challenges in well, group and network modelling are discussed. The asset models' simulations with OPM Flow have been performed with the same functionalities as used with commercial software and the simulation results are comparable. Efficient and scalable parallelization of the simulator core and linear solver preconditioners has been essential for the implementation on the asset models. Performance and comparisons of CPU time for serial and parallel simulations are discussed. Robustness of ensemble simulations and efficient input error control and reporting has been investigated for the applications on the real asset models. Comparisons are done with other simulators. The paper describes application of open-source software for flow simulations on real assets. New opportunities in using open-source software are illustrated, with respect to robustness, maintenance and support, computation time, scalability and modelling challenges.