Algebraic Dynamic Multilevel Method for Compositional Simulations

A dynamic multilevel compositional solver (C-ADM) is introduced for fully- (and sequentially-) implicit systems arising from compositional displacements in natural porous media. The fully (or sequential) implicit system is first described at a fine-scale resolution, where phases are allowed to consist of different components (based on thermodynamics equilibrium). In addition, heterogeneous capillary functions (defined based on Leverett’s J-function) and gravitational effects are both considered, adding significantly to the non-linear complexity of the processes. Given this complex fine-scale system for a heterogeneous reservoir, C-ADM defines a dynamic multilevel system, based on an error criterion, where the grid resolution is defined based on the physics of the process as well as geological complexities and location of wells. Once this multilevel grid is defined, sequences of prolongation and restriction operators are employed to obtain an accurate and efficient multilevel system. CADM allows for a general set of prolongation operators, e.g., constant, bilinear (or polynomial), and multiscale basis functions. The restriction operators, however, are constructed based on a mass-conservative finite-volume formulation at all levels. For several challenging test cases it is shown that C-ADM employs only a small fraction of the fine-scale grids to provide an accurate description of the process. C-ADM casts a promising approach in the application of dynamic grid refinement methods for real-field applications.