Petrel RE:

Creating a simple simulation case from beginning to end

James Li, SIS

I. Setup project unit system

I-1. Start Petrel program or start a new project (File\New project);

I-2. Open the project settings window (Project\Project Settings);

I-3. Select the Coordinates and units tab, select Unit system to be Field, then click OK:
II. Create a simple 3D grid

II-1. On the Processes tab, open the Utilities category and then double click on the Make
simple grid process:
II-2. In the Make simple grid window, enter myGrid as the new grid name, use the default
values on the Input tab and Geometry tab, click Apply and OK:
II-3. On the Models tab, open New model and myGrid (clicking the + icon), right click on
Skeleton and select Convert to surface menu, and three surfaces are created on the Input
tab:
II-4. On Processes tab, open the Corner point gridding category. If the Make horizon
process is available, then follow steps II-5 and II-6, otherwise follow steps II-7 to II-10, to
create zones and layers in the vertical direction:

II-5. On Processes tab, open Corner point gridding category and double click on Make
horizons process. Click the Insert button ( ) and add three rows in the table, select the Top
surface on the Input tab, then click the first blue arrow ( ) in the Input #1 column to drop
the surface in the table; select the Mid surface on the Input tab, then click the second blue
arrow in the Input #1 column to drop the surface in the table; select the Base surface on the
Input tab, then click the third blue arrow in the Input #1 column to drop the surface in the
table. Then click Apply and OK to exit.
II-6. On Processes tab, open Corner point gridding category and double click on Layering
process, change Number of layers to 2 for both zones. Click Apply and OK to exit. Jump to
section III to continue.
II-7. If the Make Horizons process is not available, then go to the Input tab and select the
Top surface, use control-c and control-v keys to make a copy of the top surface. Select the
Base surface, use control-c and control-v keys to make a copy of the base surface:

II-8. On the Input tab, right click on the Copy of Top surface and select the Settings menu.
In the Settings window, select the A = option and enter a value of -1250, then click the Z = A
button. This sets the Copy of Top surface 250 ft below the Top surface. Click OK to exit.
II-9. Similarly, On the Input tab, right click on the Copy of Base surface and select the
Settings menu. In the Settings window, select the A = option and enter a value of -1750, then
click the Z = A button. This sets the Copy of Base surface 250 ft above the Base surface.
Click OK to exit.
II-10. On the Processes tab, open Utilities category and then double click on the Make
simple grid process. In the Make simple grid window, select Edit existing (current active)
option, select Insert surfaces option. Select each surface on the Input tab, use the insert
button ( ) to add it to the Make simple grid window. Use the Up and Down arrow
buttons to sort the surfaces in the order as shown below. Click Apply and OK to exit.
III. Create a simple 3D property
III-1. On the Models tab, right click on Properties and select the Calculator menu:

III-2. On the Calculator window, select Porosity as the template under Attach new to
template, then enter poro=If( k>2, 0.15, 0.1) in the text box, then click the ENTER button.
This assigns the porosity values of 0.1 for the top two layers and 0.15 for the bottom two
layers. Click the x button (top right corner) to exit.
III-3. Open a new 3D window (Window/New 3D window), open the Properties folder on the
Models tab and select the radio button on the left side of poro, the poro property is shown in
the 3D window. Click on the Show/hide grid lines icon (the third icon on the function bar on
the right hand side) to show grid lines:

III-4. Right click on poro property and select Color table menu, click the Max and Min
buttons to scale color table. Click Apply and OK to change display color:
IV. Add a vertical well
IV-1. Select the Insert/New well menu to bring up the Create new well window, enter values
and options as shown below:

IV-2. Click OK button, W1 well is created as shown (Use the J icon on the function bar to
show only a slice of the grid):
V. Create PVT property
V-1. On the Processes tab, open Simulation category and double click on the Make fluid
model process:
V-2. In the Make fluid model window, click on the Use presets button and select Dry gas:
V-3. Enter the following values on the Initial conditions tab (keep values on other tabs
unchanged). Click Apply and OK to exit.
V-4. The newly created PVT property is stored in the Fluids folder on the Input tab, the
properties can be plotted on a function window (use Window/New function window to open a
new function window):
VI. Create rock physics functions
VI-1. On the Processes tab, open Simulation category and double click on the Make rock
physics functions process:
VI-2. In the Make rock physics functions window, click on the Use presets button and
select Shaly sand, then click Apply:
VI-3. Switch the Function type to Rock compaction function, then click the Use presets
button and select Consolidated sandstone, then click Apply and OK to exit.
VI-4. The newly created rock physics functions are stored in the Rock physics functions
folder on the Input tab, the properties can be plotted on a function window (remove
previously plotted PVT properties by un-checking those properties):
VII. Create a simple development strategy

VII-1. On the Processes tab, open Simulation category and double click on the Make
development strategy process:
VII-2. On the Input tab, select the Wells folder name. In the Make development strategy
window, use the blue arrow icon ( ) to drop the Wells folder in the Wells folder tree on
the left hand side. Change the end date from 2031-01-01 to 2021-01-01:

VII-3. In the Make development strategy window, click the Add rules icon ( ) to bring
up the Add rules window, then select the Well pressure production control rule (either
double click on the rule or use the Add rule button), then close the rule window.
VII-4. In the Make development strategy window, select the W1 well in Wells folder, use
the blue arrow icon in the Parameter values column to drop the well in the Wells row.
Switch the Control mode to Bottom hole pressure and then enter a value of 500 for the
Bottom hole pressure [psi] row. Click Apply and OK to exit.

VII-5. Use File/Save project to save the new project with a name to a folder of your choice.
VIII. Define and run a simulation case

VIII-1. On the Processes tab, open Simulation category and double click on the Define
simulation case process:
VIII-2. In the Define simulation case window:
1. Enter Case1 as case name (no spaces are allowed in the case name);
2. Select ECLIPSE 100 as Simulator;
3. Select Single porosity as Type;
4. Un-check Permeability check boxes, and enter values as shown below;
5. On the Models tab, select poro property, use the blue arrow in the Input column to
drop the poro property on the Porosity row.
VIII-3. In the Define simulation case window, switch to the Functions tab. Select Shaly
sand in the Rock physics functions folder on the Input tab and then use the blue arrow
under Rel perms to drop the property in:

VIII-4. Switch to the Rock compaction item. Select Consolidated sandstone in the Rock
physics functions folder on the Input tab and then use the blue arrow under Compaction to
drop the property in:
VIII-5. Switch to the Black oil fluid model (PVT) item. Select Initial condition 1 in the
Fluids folder on the Input tab and then use the blue arrow under Initial condition to drop the
PVT property in:

VIII-6. In the Define simulation case window, switch to the Strategies tab. Use the insert
button ( ) to add a row in the table, then select Development strategy 1 in the
Development strategies folder on the Input tab and then use the blue arrow under
Development Strategy to drop the property in:
VIII-7. Click the Export button to export the simulation case, if any error messages are
shown, fix the problems accordingly.

VIII-8. Click the Run button to run the simulation case, if any error messages are shown, fix
the problems accordingly. After the case is successfully run, there should be no error numbers
reported in the following ECLIPSE simulator window:
IX. View summary results
IX-1. Use Window/New function window to open a new function window.
IX-2. On Cases tab, check the Case1 check box.
IX-3. On Results tab, check Field in the Identifier folder.
IX-4. Open the Dynamic results data folder and the Cumulatives folder, then check the
Gas production cumulative check box to plot the curve.
X. View dynamic 3D results
X-1. Use Window/New 3D window to open a new 3D window.
X-2. On Cases tab, check the Case1 radio button.
X-3. On Results tab, open the Dynamic folder and check the Pressure radio button.
X-4. Right click on Pressure and select Color table menu to scale the color table:

X-5. Use the time step combo box (lower left corner) or the play buttons to view pressure
changes vs. time:
XI. Create Uncertainty & Optimization workflow

XI-1. On the Processes tab, open Utilities category and double click on the Uncertainty and
Optimization process:
XI-2. On the U&O window, drop case1 as basecase:
XI-3. Click on the Edit workflow button then change the porosity calculator expression as
shown:
XI-4. On the U&O window, double click the Make development strategyprocess and add
$BHP as shown and then click OK to go back to U&O window:
XI-5. On the U&O window, switch to the Variables tab and add the data range:
XI-6. On the U&O window, switch to the Sensitivity tab, select Monte-Carlo as Sampling
method and click the Test button to make sure the workflow is OK:
XI-7. On the U&O window, click the Run button to run the workflow and all cases are added on
the Cases tab:
XI-8. Open a new Tornado plot window from Windows menu, check the Sensitivity folder on
Cases tab, check Filed and Gas production cumulative on Results tab, a tornado plot is created: