University of Baghdad Numerical Methods and Reservoir Simulation

Department of Petroleum Engineering 2020

(1) Explicit Formulation

Example (1)
For the 1D, block‐centered grid shown in the following figure, determine the pressure
distribution during the first year of production. The initial reservoir pressure is 6,000 psia.
The rock and fluid properties for this problem are Δx=1,000 ft, Δy= 1000 ft, Δz= 75 ft, Bl=1
RB/STB, cl= 3.5x10‐6, kx= 15 md, ϕ=0.18, µl= 10 cp, and B°l = 1RB/STB. Use timestep sizes
of Δt= 10, 15, and 30 days. Assume Bl acts as a constant within the pressure range of
interest.

Solution
1. For Δt=10 days.
𝑉 ∆𝑥 ∆𝑦 ∆𝑧 1000 1000 75 75 10 𝑓𝑡
𝐴 ∆𝑦 ∆𝑧 1000 75 75 10 𝑓𝑡
𝑎 𝐵° ∆𝑡 5.615 1 10
1.18836
𝑉 𝜙𝐶 75 10 0.18 3.5 10
𝐴 𝑘 75000 0.015
𝑇 𝑇 𝛽 1.127 0.1268
𝜇 𝐵∆𝑥 10 1 1000
We now apply the initial conditions at n=0; 𝑃 = 6000 psia for gridblocks i=1, 2, …,5
𝑎 𝐵° ∆𝑡
𝑝 𝑝 𝑞
𝑉 𝜙𝐶
𝑎 𝐵° ∆𝑡
𝑇 𝑃 𝑇 𝑇 𝑝 𝑇 𝑝
𝑉 𝜙𝐶 / / / /

For Gridblock 1 (i=1), Timestep 1 (n=1),

𝑎 𝐵° ∆𝑡 𝑎 𝐵° ∆𝑡
𝑝 𝑝 𝑞 𝑇 𝑝 𝑇 𝑇 𝑝 𝑇 𝑝
𝑉 𝜙𝐶 𝑉 𝜙𝐶 / / /

𝑝 𝑝 0 1.18836 0.1268𝑝 0.126840 0 𝑝 0 𝑝

𝑝 0.1507 𝑝 0.1507 𝑝 0 𝑝
6000 0.1507 6000 0.1507 6000 6000 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎
For Gridblock 2 (i=2), Timestep 1 (n=1),

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University of Baghdad Numerical Methods and Reservoir Simulation
Department of Petroleum Engineering 2020

𝑎 𝐵° ∆𝑡 𝑎 𝐵° ∆𝑡
𝑝 𝑝 𝑞 𝑇 𝑝 𝑇 𝑇 𝑝 𝑇 𝑝
𝑉 𝜙𝐶 𝑉 𝜙𝐶 / / /

𝑝 𝑝 0.1507 𝑝 0.3013 𝑝 0.1507 𝑝

6000 0.1507 6000 0.3013 6000 0.1507 6000
6000 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎
For Gridblock 3, Timestep 1,
𝑎 𝐵° ∆𝑡 𝑎 𝐵° ∆𝑡
𝑝 𝑝 𝑞 𝑇 𝑝 𝑇 𝑇 𝑝 𝑇 𝑝
𝑉 𝜙𝐶 𝑉 𝜙𝐶 / / /

𝑝 6000 0.1507 6000 0.3013 6000 0.1507 6000 6000 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎

For Gridblock 4, Timestep 1,
𝑎 𝐵° ∆𝑡 𝑎 𝐵° ∆𝑡
𝑝 𝑝 𝑞 𝑇 𝑝 𝑇 𝑇 𝑝 𝑇 𝑝
𝑉 𝜙𝐶 𝑉 𝜙𝐶 / / /

𝑝 𝑝 1.18836 150 0.1507 𝑝 03013 𝑝 0.1507 𝑝

6000 178.2540 0.1507 6000 0.3013 6000
0.1507 6000 5821.75 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎
For Gridblock 5, Timestep 1,
𝑎 𝐵° ∆𝑡 𝑎 𝐵° ∆𝑡
𝑝 𝑝 𝑞 𝑇 𝑝 𝑇 𝑇 𝑝 𝑇 𝑝
𝑉 𝜙𝐶 𝑉 𝜙𝐶 / / /

𝑝 𝑝 0 𝑝 0.1507 𝑝 0.1507 𝑝
𝑝 6000 0.1507 6000 0.1507 6000 6000 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎
This is the end of the first timestep. Now, set 𝑝 𝑝 , where i=1,2,…,5. that is to say,
𝑝 =6000 psia, 𝑝 = 6000 psia,𝑝 = 6000 psia, 𝑝 5821.75 psia, and 𝑝 = 6000 psia, at t=10 days.
We now proceed to the next timestep.

For Gridblock 1, timestep 2,

𝑎 𝐵° ∆𝑡 𝑎 𝐵° ∆𝑡
𝑝 𝑝 𝑞 𝑇 𝑝 𝑇 / 𝑇 / 𝑝 𝑇 𝑝
𝑉 𝜙𝐶 𝑉 𝜙𝐶 /

𝑝 𝑝 0 1.18836 0.1268𝑝 0.126840 0 𝑝 0 𝑝

𝑝 6000 0.1507 6000 0.1507 6000 6000 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎
For Gridblock 2, Timestep 2,
𝑝 𝑝 0.1507 𝑝 0.3013 𝑝 0.1507 𝑝

𝑝 6000 0.1507 6000 0.3013 6000 0.1507 6000 6000 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎

For Gridblock 3, Timestep 2,

𝑝 𝑝 0.1507 𝑝 0.3013 𝑝 0.1507 𝑝

𝑝 6000 0.1507 5821.75 0.3013 6000 0.1507 6000 5973.14 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎

For Gridblock 4, Timestep 2,
𝑝 𝑝 178.254 0.1507 𝑝 0.3013 𝑝 0.1507 𝑝
𝑝 5821.75 178.254 0.1507 6000 0.3013 5821.75 0.1507 6000 5697.21 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎

For Gridblock 5, Timestep 2,

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University of Baghdad Numerical Methods and Reservoir Simulation
Department of Petroleum Engineering 2020

𝑝 𝑝 0 𝑝 0.1507 𝑝 0.1507 𝑝

𝑝 6000 0.1507 6000 0.1507 5821.75 5973.14 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎.

This is the end of the second timestep. This procedure is repeated until the end of the simulation.
Table 1 shows the results of this explicit simulation.
Table.1
Time Pressure, psia
(day) Gridblock.1 Gridblock.2 Gridblock.3 Gridblock.4 Gridblock.5
0 6000 6000 6000 6000 6000
10 6000 6000 6000 5821.746 6000
20 6000 6000 5973.14 5697.212 5973.14
30 6000 5995.953 5935.609 5602.114 5931.562
40 5999.39 5987.47 5894.45 5523.755 5881.919
50 5997.594 5975.249 5852.609 5455.328 5827.95
60 5994.227 5960.136 5811.225 5393.086 5771.802
70 5989.09 5942.835 5770.657 5334.905 5714.735
80 5982.12 5923.86 5730.94 5279.547 5657.501
90 5973.341 5903.569 5691.992 5226.262 5600.549
100 5962.828 5882.201 5653.695 5174.585 5544.15
110 5950.679 5859.918 5615.933 5124.213 5488.463
120 5937.002 5836.83 5578.604 5074.94 5433.576
130 5921.908 5813.014 5541.62 5026.621 5379.535
140 5905.499 5788.528 5504.913 4979.148 5326.357
150 5887.874 5763.417 5468.424 4932.437 5274.038
160 5869.12 5737.72 5432.11 4886.422 5222.564
170 5849.32 5711.469 5395.934 4841.045 5171.913
180 5828.548 5684.695 5359.867 4796.261 5122.056
190 5806.872 5657.425 5323.887 4752.026 5072.964
200 5784.353 5629.686 5287.976 4708.302 5024.604
210 5761.047 5601.501 5252.118 4665.057 4976.942
220 5737.006 5572.896 5216.304 4622.26 4929.946
230 5712.277 5543.892 5180.524 4579.883 4883.583
240 5686.904 5514.511 5144.771 4537.898 4837.82
250 5660.927 5484.774 5109.039 4496.284 4792.627
260 5634.384 5454.7 5073.324 4455.016 4747.972
270 5607.308 5424.308 5037.622 4414.075 4703.829
280 5579.733 5393.616 5001.931 4373.441 4660.167
290 5551.688 5362.64 4966.248 4333.095 4616.962
300 5523.202 5331.397 4930.572 4293.022 4574.188
310 5494.3 5299.901 4894.901 4253.204 4531.821
320 5465.007 5268.167 4859.235 4213.626 4489.838

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University of Baghdad Numerical Methods and Reservoir Simulation
Department of Petroleum Engineering 2020

330 5435.346 5236.208 4823.571 4174.276 4448.217

340 5405.339 5204.037 4787.911 4135.139 4406.938
350 5375.006 5171.666 4752.252 4096.203 4365.983
360 5344.366 5139.107 4716.595 4057.457 4325.331
2. For Δt= 15 days.

This part is homework

The final results are included in Table.2.

Table.2
Time Pressure, psia
(day) Gridblock.1 Gridblock.2 Gridblock.3 Gridblock.4 Gridblock.5
0 6000 6000 6000 6000 6000
15 6000 6000 6000 5732.619 6000
30 6000 6000 5939.565 5586.108 5939.565
45 6000 5986.34 5873.334 5478.508 5859.674
60 5996.913 5963.885 5809.636 5386.522 5773.521
75 5989.448 5936.486 5748.865 5302.247 5686.049
90 5977.477 5906.049 5690.325 5222.563 5599.3
105 5961.332 5873.435 5633.358 5146.061 5514.147
120 5941.465 5839.038 5577.48 5072.019 5430.95
135 5918.314 5803.07 5522.351 5000.013 5349.822
150 5892.266 5765.669 5467.739 4929.76 5270.756
165 5863.652 5726.943 5413.482 4861.05 5193.682
180 5832.752 5686.992 5359.468 4793.717 5118.499
195 5799.806 5645.909 5305.623 4727.62 5045.09
210 5765.022 5603.78 5251.892 4662.639 4973.333
225 5728.577 5560.689 5198.242 4598.669 4903.108
240 5690.63 5516.713 5144.645 4535.618 4834.297
255 5651.32 5471.926 5091.086 4473.403 4766.788
270 5610.772 5426.394 5037.553 4411.947 4700.475
285 5569.098 5380.18 4984.038 4351.184 4635.26
300 5526.398 5333.342 4930.535 4291.053 4571.052
315 5482.762 5285.933 4877.04 4231.499 4507.765
330 5438.274 5238.001 4823.552 4172.47 4445.321
345 5393.007 5189.591 4770.067 4113.922 4383.65
360 5347.03 5140.745 4716.584 4055.812 4322.684

3. For Δt= 30 days.

This part is homework

The final results are included in Table.3.

Table.3

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University of Baghdad Numerical Methods and Reservoir Simulation
Department of Petroleum Engineering 2020

Time Pressure, psia

(day) Gridblock.1 Gridblock.2 Gridblock.3 Gridblock.4 Gridblock.5
0 6000 6000 6000 6000 6000
30 6000 6000 6000 5465.238 6000
60 6000 6000 5758.26 5413.957 5758.26
90 6000 5890.721 5711.896 5190.481 5602.617
120 5950.6 5859.283 5557.027 5077.733 5416.31
150 5909.32 5763.928 5476.996 4912.691 5263.255
180 5843.595 5699.945 5351.609 4791.498 5104.782
210 5778.657 5607.416 5255.875 4651.556 4963.161
240 5701.247 5525.911 5141.606 4530.84 4822.299
270 5621.986 5431.446 5039.234 4403.931 4690.544
300 5535.852 5340.28 4929.344 4285.923 4560.98
330 5447.443 5242.925 4824.249 4166.361 4436.64
360 5354.99 5146.114 4716.113 4051.179 4314.46

(2) Implicit Formulation

Example (3)
Solve the problem described in Example (1) using the implicit backward‐difference
formulation. Use a timestep size of ∆t= 15 days.

Solution

𝑇 /
𝑝 °∆ 𝑇 𝑇 𝑝 𝑇 𝑝 𝑞 °∆ 𝑝

We now apply the initial conditions at n=0; 𝑃 = 6000 psia for gridblocks i=1,2,…,5

For ∆t=15 days, we calculated the following quantities in Example (1)

𝑉 𝜙𝐶
0.561
𝑎 𝐵° ∆𝑡
𝐴 𝑘 𝐴 𝑘
𝑇 𝑇 𝛽 𝛽 0.1268
/ / 𝜇 𝐵 ∆𝑥 /
𝜇 𝐵 ∆𝑥 /

For Gridblock 1, timestep 1,

𝑉𝑏 𝜙𝐶𝑙 𝑉𝑏 𝜙𝐶𝑙
𝑇 𝑝 𝑇 𝑇 𝑝 𝑇 𝑝 𝑞𝑙𝑠𝑐 𝑝01
𝑎𝑐 𝐵°𝑙 ∆𝑡 𝑎𝑐 𝐵°𝑙 ∆𝑡
/ / / / 1
1 1
0.1268 𝑝 0.56100 0.1268 0 𝑝 0 𝑝 0 0.56100 6000 .
where 𝑇 /
0 for no‐flow boundary condition
0.1268 𝑝 0.6878 𝑝 0𝑝 3365.98

For Gridblock 2, timestep 1,

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University of Baghdad Numerical Methods and Reservoir Simulation
Department of Petroleum Engineering 2020

0.1268 𝑝 0.56100 0.1268 0.1268 𝑝 0.1268𝑝 0 0.56100 6000

0.1268 𝑝 0.8146 𝑝 0.1268 𝑝 3365.98
For Gridblock 3, timestep 1,
0.1268 𝑝 0.56100 0.1268 0.1268 𝑝 0.1268𝑝 0 0.56100 6000
0.1268 𝑝 0.8146 𝑝 0.1268 𝑝 3365.98
For Gridblock 4, timestep 1,
0.1268 𝑝 0.56100 0.1268 0.1268 𝑝 0.1268𝑝 150 0.56100 6000
0.1268 𝑝 0.8146 𝑝 0.1268 𝑝 3215.98
For Gridblock 5, timestep 1,
0 𝑝 0.56100 0 0.1268 𝑝 0.1268 𝑝 0 0.56100 6000
where 𝑇 /
0 for no‐flow boundary condition
0 𝑝 0.6878 𝑝 0.1268 𝑝 3365.98
To find the pressures of Gridblocks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 after 15 days of production, system
of equations which represent those five gridblocks are formulated as below:

0.6878 0.1268 0 0 0 𝑝 3365.98

⎡ ⎤
⎡ 0.1268 0.8146 0.1268 0 0 ⎤ ⎢𝑝 ⎥ ⎡ 3365.98⎤
⎢ ⎥⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎢ 0 0.1268 0.8146 01268 0 ⎥ 𝑝 ⎢ 3365.98⎥
⎢ 0 0 0.1268 0.8146 0.1268⎥ ⎢𝑝 ⎥ ⎢ 3215.98⎥
⎣ ⎢ ⎥
0 0 0 0.1268 0.6878⎦ ⎣𝑝 ⎦
⎣ 3365.98⎦
As we studied earlier, this system of linear equations can be solved using one of the
following methods:
‐ Gauss‐Elimination
‐ Gauss‐Jordan
‐ Jacobi
‐ Gauss‐Seidel

The solution that uses a direct technique gives

𝑝 5999,08𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎.
𝑝 5995,02 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎.
𝑝 5968,94 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎.
𝑝 5805,44𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎.
𝑝 5964,13 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎
Note that, in this problem, updating the pressures does not affect the coefficients on the
left side of the equation, but only those on the right side. This is because we assumed that
µl and βl were constant. If these properties were pressure dependent, we would update
the coefficients at this point.
Therefore,
For Gridblock 1, Timestep 2,
0.1268 𝑝 0.6878 𝑝 0 0.56100 5999.08
0.1268 𝑝 0.6878 𝑝 3365.47
For Gridblock 2, Timestep 2,

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University of Baghdad Numerical Methods and Reservoir Simulation
Department of Petroleum Engineering 2020

0.1268 𝑝 0.8146 𝑝 0.1268 𝑝 0 0.561000 5995.02

0.1268 𝑝 0.8146 𝑝 0.1268 𝑝 3363.19
For Gridblock 3, Timestep 2,
0.1268 𝑝 0.8146 𝑝 0.1268 𝑝 0 0.561000 5968.94
0.1268 𝑝 0.8146 𝑝 0.1268 𝑝 3348.56
For Gridblock 4, Timestep 2,
0.1268 𝑝 0.8146 𝑝 0.1268 𝑝 150 0.56100 5805.44
0.1268 𝑝 0.8146 𝑝 3106.83
For Gridblock 5, timestep 2,
0 𝑝 0.56100 0 0.1268 𝑝 0.1268 𝑝 0 0.56100 5964.13
0 𝑝 0.6878 𝑝 0.1268 𝑝 3345.88

To find the pressures of Gridblocks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 after 30 days of production, system

of equations which represent those five gridblocks are formulated as below:

0.6878 0.1268 0 0 0 𝑝 3365.47

⎡ ⎤
⎡ 0.1268 0.8146 0.1268 0 0 ⎤ ⎢𝑝 ⎥ ⎡ 3363.19⎤
⎢ ⎥⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎢ 0 0.1268 0.8146 01268 0 ⎥ 𝑝 ⎢ 3348.56⎥
⎢ 0 0 0.1268 0.8146 0.1268⎥ ⎢𝑝 ⎥ ⎢ 3106.83⎥
⎣ ⎢ ⎥
0 0 0 0.1268 0.6878⎦ ⎣𝑝 ⎦
⎣ 3345.88⎦
The solution that uses a direct technique gives
𝑝 5996,29𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎.
𝑝 5983,93 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎.
𝑝 5922,46 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎.
𝑝 5655,35𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎.
𝑝 5907,21 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎

This the end of the second timestep. The procedure continuous until the end of the simulation as
the results are shown in Table 4.

Table.4
Time Pressure (Psia)
(days) Block 1 Block 2 Block 3 Block 4 Block 5
0 6000 6000 6000 6000 6000
15 5999.083 5995.023 5968.942 5805.438 5964.134
30 5996.289 5983.927 5922.464 5655.349 5907.212
45 5990.906 5967.089 5868.772 5532.884 5838.208
60 5982.511 5945.363 5812.08 5427.948 5762.58
75 5970.919 5919.629 5754.474 5334.426 5683.653
90 5956.122 5890.646 5696.926 5248.577 5603.451
105 5938.22 5859.013 5639.84 5168.075 5523.193

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University of Baghdad Numerical Methods and Reservoir Simulation
Department of Petroleum Engineering 2020

120 5917.384 5825.189 5583.333 5091.45 5443.604

135 5893.813 5789.519 5527.394 5017.753 5365.103
150 5867.719 5752.263 5471.957 4946.35 5287.91
165 5839.313 5713.62 5416.939 4876.822 5212.129
180 5808.792 5673.745 5362.263 4808.854 5137.789
195 5776.343 5632.765 5307.858 4742.227 5064.871
210 5742.136 5590.782 5253.667 4676.771 4993.328
225 5706.328 5547.886 5199.642 4612.35 4923.098
240 5669.059 5504.154 5145.745 4548.857 4854.109
255 5630.457 5459.654 5091.947 4486.199 4786.288
270 5590.638 5414.446 5038.225 4424.298 4719.558
285 5549.705 5368.588 4984.561 4363.086 4653.845
300 5507.753 5322.13 4930.942 4302.502 4589.078
315 5464.869 5275.119 4877.356 4242.493 4525.188
330 5421.13 5227.598 4823.797 4183.01 4462.111
345 5376.607 5179.606 4770.257 4124.01 4399.785
360 5331.365 5131.182 4716.733 4065.452 4338.153