Duration - 01/10/2004 - 31/09/2006
Funding - Embark Post-Doctoral Fellowship to Bala Palananthakumar
Basic Aims
The principal aims of this project are (a) to define a physically more complete model of oil accumulation, trapping and leakage in clastic sequences under hydrodynamic flow conditions and over time-scales ranging from tens to millions of years, and (b) to examine numerically, using this model, the dynamic behaviour of selected natural oil accumulations. Quantitative oil migration modelling assumes hydrostatic conditions and ignores viscous forces. Oil production modelling requires spatial averaging at scales too large for an adequate representation of capillary forces. The purpose of the project is to merge the conceptual schemes associated with the two disciplines, allowing quantitative and predictive models at spatial and temporal scales relevant to practical concerns in mature hydrocarbon provinces. Consideration of all three relevant forces (capillary, viscous and gravity) are required for understanding and predicting subtle, hydrodynamically controlled exploration targets or the volumes and locations of oil trapped during a field production campaign. The physical processes governing the flow in these situations are identical, yet they would generally be modelled using two different approaches, each neglecting aspects of physical relevance. The results of this project will provide a consistent quantitative framework for both problems, validated against known accumulations.
Contact:Bala Palananthakumar or Tom Manzocchi
Tel: +353 1 716 2605
Email