Decisions on the type of recovery process and the positioning of the wells have to be correct the first time. This requires extensive use of computer simulation. The average properties of flow in porous media are described by nonlinear differential equations, whose parameters are spatially variable. Their solution in a complex geological environment, combined with the intricate phase properties of crude oil and gas at high pressure, involves a number of mathematical challenges that make most gas dynamics or aeronautical engineering problems seem straightforward. We have developed novel gridding techniques, advanced numerical schemes and fast solution methods.
Computations often require supercomputers or massively parallel machines.
Many of these reservoir engineering techniques apply to environmental clean-up, as well as the recovery of geothermal steam and hot water from underground. As oil and gas developments move to ever more remote and difficult locations, it becomes more important to maximize the recovery of the resource and minimize the cost. Several of our graduate students have undertaken research in optimization techniques, and have applied intricate and novel algorithms to the computation of optimum strategies.