The boundary element method (BEM) owes its elegance, with regard to the computational accuracy and efficiency, to the existence of the fundamental solution for the governing equation. For heterogeneity problems, there arises difficulty in finding the corresponding fundamental solution; and consequently, the conventional BEM can not be applied to such problems. Among some attempts found in the literature to overcome this shortcoming and to broaden applicability, two kinds of unconventional BEM, the accelerated perturbation BEM and the complex variable BEM, are reviewed.The accelerated perturbation BEM is developed for solving continuous heterogeneity problems. The governing equation is decomposed into various order perturbation equations, for which the fundamental solution can be found. These equations are solved by the BEM, and the complete solution to the original problem is recovered by summing the perturbation solutions. The Padé approximant is applied to improve the convergence of a perturbation series.The complex variable BEM is developed for solving discrete heterogeneity (such as fractures) problems. The difficulty, in modeling singular flow behavior near the tips of thin objects, is dealt by virtue of a conformal mapping technique. The use of complex variables enables us to bridge the gap between the singular solution in a mapped plane and the non-singular solution in a physical plane.To exemplify the practical usefulness of these models, application problems are considered, including heterogeneity detection through type curves, well-to-well displacement predictions, and horizontal-sink productivity estimations. Sound mathematical foundations ensure the high degree of computational accuracy even for heterogeneity problems.
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