1. Marco R. Thiele and Rod P. Batycky
SPE ATCE Denver, CO – October 2003
SPE 84040
Water Injection Optimization Using a Streamline-Based Workflow
Marco R. Thiele and Rod P. Batycky
StreamSim Technologies
—Special thanks you to Nobuo Nishikiori, Arabian Oil Company, for field data set.—

2. Outline Objectives and introduction to streamline simulation.
The seed: additional data supplied by streamlines.
Waterflood optimization.
A workflow.
Example application.

3. Introduction – Biz Objectives
Business objectives: grow production, reserves, cash flow
Make and execute decisions
Strategies & recommendations
Develop/obtain knowledge
Synthesis and analysis
Performance Tools (simulation)
Obtain and use key data
People
Performance Tools
Analogues
Decline Curve Analysis
Material Balance/Type Curve Analysis
Streamline Simulation
Finite Difference Simulation
Integrated Production Modeling
Increasing complexity,time, skill, knowledge
(after Pande 2003)

4. Introduction—Streamline Sim.
Solve transport problem along 1D streamlines rather than on an underlying 3D computational grid.
Efficient solution of transport problemfiner grids, speed but also visualization & new data.
Geology
Pressure
Streamlines
Compositions
(From Y. Gautier et al., 1999)

5. Modern Streamline Simulation
SL’s are traced in 3D.
Conservation equations along SL’s are in terms of TOF.
SL’s are updated in time to reflect changing reservoir conditions.
Numerical 1D solutions along SL’s.
Gravity
Compressibility

6. The seed—New Data from SL’s
Streamlines are able to quantify injector/producer relationships:

7. The seed—Flux Pattern Map

8. The seed – Injection Efficiency
Ieff for injector or for each producer-injector pair; changes with time.
Works as a ratio of rates (instantaneous) or cumulative volumes (average)
Can be used for any injection volume type.

9. The seed – Injection Efficiency
Injection efficiencies can be used to automatically identify well pairs with extreme water cycling.
Oil Produced
Water Injected

10. Waterflood Optimization
Objectivebest use of injected volumes
…for displacement purposes, not re-pressurization.
Increase rates in “high” efficiency connections, decrease rates in “low” efficiency connections.
Must increase/decrease rates at both producers
and injectors.

11. Waterflood Optimization
Once well pairs are identified, use a weighting function to decide how much volume to shift from low to high efficiency injectors.

12. Workflow t,q Calculate efficiencies using last know rates. t,qn+1
Re-allocate rates using weights from equation.
t+Dt,qn+1
Simulate forward by Dt using new rates.

13. Waterflood Optimization

14. Middle Eastern Limestone Res.
Compressible SL simulation
8 producers / 5 injectors
Acceptable HM
Objective: plan future water injection.

15. Middle Eastern Limestone Res.
SL’s by Injectors
SL’s by Producers

16. Flux Pattern Map by Injectors (beginning of optimization)
Middle Eastern Limestone Res.
Flux Pattern Map by Injectors (beginning of optimization)

17. Flux Pattern Map by Injectors (end of optimization – 5 years)
Middle Eastern Limestone Res.
Flux Pattern Map by Injectors (end of optimization – 5 years)

18. Middle Eastern Limestone Res.
10 optimization steps (6 months /step)
T + 5 Years

19. Middle Eastern Limestone Res.
Streamline simulation a complementary tool to finite difference simulation 
Take optimized reservoir rates from SL’s and feed to finite-difference simulator:
Performance Tools
Analogues
Decline Curve Analysis
Material Balance/Type Curve Analysis
Streamline Simulation
Finite Difference Simulation
Integrated Production Modeling

20. Middle Eastern Limestone Res.
Optimized Period
Not optimized
Oil
Optimized
Water

21. Conclusions
Streamlines offer a powerful new way to optimize flooding operations:
Well allocation data
Flux Pattern Map
Streamlines complementary to more traditional simulation approaches.
Procedure is automaticability to optimize large fields/many wells.

22. Thank you.