Adaptation of Reservoir Engineering Software to a DOS/Linux PC

Abstract

Summary Recent publications have described the implementation of state-of-the-art reservoir engineering applications based on integrated networks of mainframe, workstation, and desktop computers. These facilities provide excellent resources for geologic and engineering applications, but at the cost of substantial investment in computer hardware, network installation, and systems staffing. This paper describes an adaptation of similar state-of-the-art applications to a desktop platform that minimizes the required hardware and system investment. The platform is an Intel 486 or Pentium-based PC with two hard drives and 32 to 64 MB of memory. One disk is partitioned to a standard DOS/Windows environment. The other disk is partitioned to the Linux operating system. Linux is a freely available clone of Unix for the 80386/80486 CPU, which is supported by a worldwide volunteer effort. A machine of this type can be constructed from components for $4,000 to $8,000, depending on CPU and memory. A number of proprietary modeling codes have been ported over so that the PC can provide much of the capability of the network systems. On the Linux disk, there are interactive graphics codes for log analysis, geostatistical reservoir characterization, mapping geologic data into reservoir models, streamtube modeling, and scale up of fine-grid models to coarse grid. On the DOS disk, there are the typical vender-supplied applications for pressure-transient analysis, production analysis, spreadsheet processing, and word processing. A proprietary, general-purpose 3D reservoir simulator is available under both DOS and Linux. The PC can be both networked on the DOS and Linux sides or run stand-alone. If networked, Linux can also provide an X-terminal facility to other Unix or Linux workstations. The PC is sufficiently fast to provide geostatistical processing for reservoirs of several hundred wells. With 64 MB of memory, finite-difference models of up to 20,000 gridblocks can be accommodated for a two-phase, black oil formulation. Using streamtube and hybrid simulation techniques, reservoir models incorporating 300 to 400 wells are practical. We have found the DOS/Linux PC to be useful in several niche situations: remote locations where there is no network, locations where there is insufficient capital budget for a workstation, and locations where network charges are insupportable or the workstations are overloaded.