Mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of porous media single-phase fluid flow problem: a scientific review

Abstract

The complexity of porous media makes the classical methods used to study hydrocarbon reservoirs inaccurate and insufficient to predict the performance and behavior of the reservoir. Recently, fluid flow simulation and modeling used to decrease the risks in the decision of the evaluation of the reservoir and achieve the best possible economic feasibility. This study deals with a brief review of the fundamental equations required to simulate fluid flow through porous media. In this study, we review the derivative of partial differential equations governing the fluid flow through pores media. The physical interpretation of partial differential equations (especially the pressures diffusive nature) and discretization with finite differences are studied. We restricted theoretic research to slightly compressible fluids, single-phase flow through porous media, and these are sufficient to show various typical aspects of subsurface flow numerical simulation. Moreover, only spatial and time discretization with finite differences will be considered. In this study, a mathematical model is formulated to express single-phase fluid flow in a one-dimensional porous medium. The formulated mathematical model is a partial differential equation of pressure change concerning distance and time. Then this mathematical model converted into a numerical model using the finite differences method.