Reservoir simulation has for many years been recognized as the best technology for optimizing well drilling and completion practices, and overall reservoir management from cradle to grave. But it is not widely understood that most of this value can be gained through quick look single well and full field modeling. This is particularly important for smaller offshore and tight onshore assets, where optimal drilling and completion technologies are required to make the prospects economic. At the same time managing large assets in real time requires smaller models that can be adjusted and optimized continually to reflect daily rate and pressure changes.

This presentation will give an overview of the work flow required for single well and full field modeling studies that are completed in hours to days. These models are built by everyday engineers, and applied to most reservoirs.

Applications applying these work flow to real assets will be presented. Examples include the Mariner Black Widow producing asset in the Gulf of Mexico, and other offshore and tight onshore reservoirs. In the Black Widow example the decision to develop the reservoir was possible thanks to a simulation study completed in four hours.