3-dimensional wells and tunnels for finite element grids

Modeling fluid, vapor, and air injection and extraction from wells poses a number of problems. The length scale of well bores is centimeters, the region of high pressure gradient may be tens of meters and the reservoir may be tens of kilometers. Furthermore, accurate representation of the path of a deviated well can be difficult. Incorporating the physics of injection and extraction can be made easier and more accurate with automated grid generation tools that incorporate wells as part of a background mesh that represents the reservoir. GEOMESH is a modeling tool developed for automating finite element grid generation. This tool maintains the geometric integrity of the geologic framework and produces optimal (Delaunay) tetrahedral grids. GEOMESH creates a 3D well as hexagonal segments formed along the path of the well. This well structure is tetrahedralized into a Delaunay mesh and then embedded into a background mesh. The well structure can be radially or vertically refined and each well layer is assigned a material property or can take on the material properties of the surrounding stratigraphy. The resulting embedded well can then be used by unstructured finite element models for gas and fluid flow in the vicinity of wells or tunnels. This 3D well representation allows the study of the free- surface of the well and surrounding stratigraphy. It reduces possible grid orientation effects, and allows better correlation between well sample data and the geologic model. The well grids also allow improved visualization for well and tunnel model analysis. 3D observation of the grids helps qualitative interpretation and can reveal features not apparent in fewer dimensions