This paper applies generalized finite difference method (GFDM) to a compressible two-phase flow in anisotropic porous media with the aim of further extending the wider application of this class of meshless methods. We develop an implicit Euler scheme in time and a GFDM discretization in space based on two treatments of the anisotropic permeability tensor in continuous function expression and discrete distribution. The effectiveness and generality of GFDM for two-phase flow problems in anisotropic porous media are verified by three examples with rectangular, irregular, and complex boundaries. Also, the computational performance of the method is verified according to the error calculation with L2 absolute error functions in different node collocation schemes. In addition, the sensitivity analysis of the radius of the influence domain to the transient pressure equation (parabolic equation) and the saturation equation (hyperbolic equation) is considered. It generally holds that the larger the radius of the influence domain, the lower the calculation accuracy in the case of Cartesian collocation. This may be a preliminary rule for the radius choice of the influence domain for GFDM. In sum, this work provides an efficient and accurate meshless solver to handle two-phase flow problems in anisotropic porous media under the GFDM framework, which reveals the great application potential of GFDM in reservoir numerical simulation.

Offshore oilfields are characterized by loose sandstone reservoirs, strong heterogeneity and high injection and production intensity. Water channeling gradually develops after entering the high water cut stage, which weakens production performance. Current identification methods usually have high computational costs and low efficiency. A quantitative identification model of water channeling based on inter-well connection units has been established by simplifying the complex reservoir system into a connection network between injectors and producers, which can quickly and accurately obtain strength characteristic parameters for waterflow channels. In addition, a comprehensive evaluation factor M and classification standard for water channeling suitable for offshore heterogeneous reservoirs have been proposed. It indicates a thief zone when M is larger than 0.65, a predominant waterflow channel when M is between 0.55 and 0.65, and no water channeling when M is smaller than 0.55. The application of (an) offshore S oilfield demonstrates that the new method successfully identifies 18 segments of the thief zone and 19 segments of the predominant waterflow channel and improves computational speed by 100 times compared with the conventional numerical modeling method. This novel method allows for rapid and accurate identification and prediction of water channeling, including location, directions, and strengths, thereby providing timely and practical guidance for inefficient water channel treatment.

Low primary recovery factor and rapid production decline necessitates the proposal of enhanced oil recovery methods to mobilize the remaining oil resource of tight reservoirs, especially for oil-wet ones, and wettability alteration by injecting a chemical agent such as a surfactant is a promising option. A discrete-fracture-network-based mathematical model is developed with consideration of the displacement mechanisms and complicated physical-chemical phenomena during EOR by wettability alteration, and this model numerically solved by the fully implicit method. Simulation cases are conducted to investigate the production performance and key factors of cyclic injection of a surfactant. Cyclic injection can significantly improve the production of oil-wet tight reservoirs, and the ultimate recovery factor can be increased by 10 percent. The reason is that a surfactant can alter the wettability of a reservoir from oil wet to medium or even water wet, which triggers spontaneous imbibition and favors oil movement from a matrix into a fracture. Better EOR results can be achieved with decreasing oil viscosity, increasing matrix permeability, or decreasing fracture spacing. Cyclic surfactant injection is applicable to reservoirs with an oil viscosity of less than 7 mPa·s, a matrix permeability bigger than 0.01 mD, or a fracture spacing smaller than 150 m. It is favorable for the wettability alteration method by maintaining capillary pressure and reducing residual oil saturation as much as possible.

Water injectors and polymer injectors coexist after well pattern infilling in some offshore oilfields, which exerts a deep impact on oil exploitation. In order to quantitatively characterize the injected water-polymer perturbation degree and analyze perturbation laws, water-polymer perturbation coefficient is proposed and established by comparing the displacement process of water-polymer coflooding and pure polymer flooding, which quantifies the dynamic change of displacement volume of injected water and polymer, and controlling strategy is discussed correspondingly to improve the development effect of water-polymer coflooding. Finally, a field case is used to demonstrate this new evaluation method. The results show that water-polymer perturbation coefficient has a good correlation with oil increasing, and water-polymer coflooding process can be divided into five stages according polymer perturbation coefficient. In addition, water-polymer coflooding has a better oil increasing effect than pure polymer flooding at the initial stage, but for a long period, development effect of pure polymer flooding is much better. The result has a great significance to quantitatively characterize water-polymer perturbation degree and make adjustment measurements.

Injection conformance reversion commonly observed during polymer flooding in offshore heterogeneous heavy-oil reservoirs weakens the volumetric sweep of polymer solution and compromises its EOR results. To investigate its mechanisms and impact factors, one mathematical model to predicate injection conformance behavior is constructed for heterogeneous reservoirs based on the Buckley-Leverett function. The different suction capability of each layer to polymer solution results in distinct change law of the flow resistance force, which in turn reacts upon the suction capability and creates dynamic redistribution of injection between layers. Conformance reversion takes place when the variation ratio of flow resistance force of different layers tends to be the same. The peak value and scope of conformance reversion decrease and reversion timing is advanced as oil viscosity or permeability contrast increases, or polymer concentration or relative thickness of low permeable layer decreases, which compromises the ability of polymer flooding to improve the volumetric sweep and lower suction of the low permeable layer. The features of offshore polymer flooding tend to make the injection conformance V-type and create low-efficiency circulation of polymer in a high permeable layer more easily. These results can provide guidance to improve the production performance of polymer flooding in offshore heterogeneous heavy-oil reservoirs.

After a long period of water flooding development, the oilfield has entered the middle and high water cut stage. The physical properties of reservoirs are changed by water erosion, which directly impacts reservoir development. Conventional numerical reservoir simulation methodologies typically employ static assumptions for model construction, presuming invariant reservoir geological parameters throughout the development process while neglecting the reservoir’s temporal evolution characteristics. Although such simplifications reduce computational complexity, they introduce substantial descriptive inaccuracies. Therefore, this paper proposes a meshless numerical simulation method for reservoirs that considers time-varying characteristics. This method avoids the meshing in traditional numerical simulation methods. From the fluid flow perspective, the reservoir’s computational domain is discretized into a series of connection units. An influence domain with a certain radius centered on the nodes is selected, and one-dimensional connection units are established between the nodes to achieve the characterization of the flow topology structure of the reservoir. In order to reflect the dynamic evolution of the reservoir’s physical properties during the water injection development process, the time-varying characteristics are incorporated into the formula of the seepage characteristic parameters in the meshless calculation. The change relationship of the permeability under different surface fluxes is considered to update the calculated connection conductivity in real time. By combining with the seepage control equation for solution, a time-varying meshless numerical simulation method is formed. The results show that compared with the numerical simulation method of the connection element method (CEM) that only considers static parameters, this method has higher simulation accuracy and can better simulate the real migration and distribution of oil and water in the reservoir. This method improves the accuracy of reservoir numerical simulation and the development effect of oilfields, providing a scientific basis for optimizing the water injection strategy, adjusting the production plan, and extending the effective production cycle of the oilfield.