IP3D

The IP3D is a 3D coupled well and reservoir simulator. Coupling the well and reservoir in the same simulation improves the effectiveness of the representation, providing to both reservoir and well each others response.

The IP3D is numerical simulator which integrates technologies not commonly available in commercial solutions. Its kernel supports numerical functionalities such as h, p and hp mesh adaptivity, curved elements (precise geometry description), unstructured meshes, multi-morphology (hexahedrons, tetrahedrons, cubes, pyramids assembled in the same mesh), multi-dimensional elements (1d, 2d and 3d elements in the same mesh) etc, all combined with parallel computing (multi-threading) exploited through out its computational process.

The numerical kernel can be thought of as hybrid FEM/DGFEM/FVM (Finite Elements/ Discontinuous Galerkin FEM / Finite Volumes) implementation where each methodology is applied in accordance with the physical phenomena being addressed.

The aforementioned technologies allows for the simulator to provide a model representation without precedents. For instance the well completion gets to details such as screen / liner perforation rates, holes diameter, for different configurations like Cased and Open well, Gravel Pack equipped, etc. The version 3 which is under development supports vertical, horizontal and highly deviated wells.

The IP3D is a Design tool, commercial CFD simulators on the other hand are Research tools which are inherently generic toolboxes for all sorts of CFD representation. Generality comes with a price and for a Design effort, such generic toolboxes are not the best choice. Set up, running, post processing activities are in the best cases measured in terms of hours. The IP3D problem setup is straight forward and the vast majority of its input regards only reservoir/well engineering parameters. After setup, the solvers must perform its number crunching operations. IP3D‘s level of optimization is such that it runs a common problem in minutes, in a portable computer (Notebook), whilst commercial CFD applications will solve a similar problem, with the same level of detail, in hours, normally running in a cluster of PCs. Nonetheless IP3D is not to be a substitute for research tools, it does cooperate bringing agility in a well and reservoir engineering CFD effort.

IP3D‘s output results are presented through charts where computed variables are plotted against the length of the production / injection zone. For transient cases a time dependent chart is used.

SimWorx was responsible for implementing the numerical method, the model validation, the mesh optimization study and the response time optimization.

Some IP3D screen shots and a couple of results from a literature example.

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