Patent Document ID: 10089424
Application ID: 13995081
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A computer-implemented method for two-dimensional (2D) domain decomposition during parallel reservoir simulation, comprising: identifying a predetermined number of decomposition domains in a reservoir model using a computer processor; calculating a plurality of configurations for the predetermined number of decomposition domains, each configuration of the plurality of configurations corresponding to one or more decomposition domains in an X direction and another one or more decomposition domains in a Y direction, and a total number of decomposition domains in each configuration equaling the predetermined number; performing a process for each configuration of the plurality of configurations, the process being based on the predetermined number of decomposition domains, and the process including: identifying a configuration of the plurality of configurations; identifying a number of decomposition domains in the X direction and a number of decomposition domains in the Y direction for the configuration; calculating one or more first decomposition boundaries for the number of decomposition domains in the X direction and the number of decomposition domains in the Y direction, a first number of active cells within each of the one or more first decomposition boundaries being determined by summing a number of active cells counted within each of one or more cross sections in the X direction, the one or more first decomposition boundaries being formed when the first number of active cells exceeds a pre-defined threshold number of active cells, such that the first number of active cells exceeding the pre-defined threshold number causes a new first decomposition boundary to begin, and the predetermined number of decomposition domains being separated by the one or more first decomposition boundaries and assigned a respective actual number of active cells; calculating an offset size by computing a difference between the pre-defined threshold number of active cells and the actual number of active cells within each decomposition domain; calculating one or more second decomposition boundaries for the number of decomposition domains in the X direction and the number of decomposition domains in the Y direction, a second number of active cells within the one or more second decomposition boundaries being determined by summing a number of active cells counted within each of one or more cross sections in the Y direction, the one or more second decomposition boundaries being formed when the second number of active cells exceeds the pre-defined threshold number of active cells, such that the second number of active cells exceeding the pre-defined threshold number causes a new second decomposition boundary to begin, and the predetermined number of decomposition domains being separated by the one or more second decomposition boundaries and assigned a respective another actual number of active cells; and calculating another offset size by computing a difference between the pre-defined threshold number of active cells and the another actual number of active cells within each decomposition domain; repeating the process for each remaining configuration of the plurality of configurations, each configuration corresponding to a calculated offset size and a calculated another offset size; iteratively adjusting at least one of the first decomposition boundaries or the second decomposition boundaries by adding or removing one or more active cells, a number of the one or more active cells added or removed being based on the offset size and the another offset size, and the adjusting defining one or more new first decomposition boundaries or one or more new second decomposition boundaries; reducing a process time of the computer processor during the parallel reservoir simulation by selecting one of the configurations from among the plurality of configurations, the selected configuration having a lowest one of the offset size and the another offset size, the selected configuration including the one or more new first decomposition boundaries or the one or more new second decomposition boundaries; and determining a balanced number of active cells to assign to each decomposition domain of the selected configuration, the selected configuration representing a greater balance of assigned active cells to each decomposition domain as compared to remaining configurations of the plurality of configurations.