Simulation of gas oil gravity drainage: Comparison of the dual continuum with the discrete-fracture and matrix approach

Abstract

Gas-oil gravity drainage (GOGD) is perhaps the most effective recovery mechanism for those naturally fractured reservoirs that are lithologically stratified, the oil is stored in rock matrix, and vertical fractures cut through (multiple) low-permeability layers, providing the necessary permeability in the direction of gravity-driven flow (eg., Gilman 2003, 2011). The conceptual process model for GOGD is that fracture saturation with gas that is much less dens than the oil creates a pressure differential that drains the oil into the fractures, where it flows downward and can be produced from wells placed directly above the oil water contact. Prerequisites are that saturated conditions can be ..