Fluid Relationship Tracking to Support Model Dependencies

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and program product manage model dependencies in a petroleum simulation environment. Version data is maintained both for a model or data set used by a first simulation application and for a dependent model used by a second simulation application and based upon the model or data set used by the first simulation application. After the model or data set used by the first simulation application is updated, as well as the version data therefor, a determination is made as to whether the dependent model is antiquated based upon the version data maintained for the dependent model and the version data for the updated model or data set used by the first simulation application.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of managing model dependencies, comprising:
 maintaining version data for a model or data set used by a first simulation application;   maintaining version data for a dependent model used by a second simulation application and based upon the model or data set used by the first simulation application;   updating the model or data set used by the first simulation application, including updating the version data therefor; and   after updating the model or data set used by the first simulation application, determining whether the dependent model is antiquated based upon the version data maintained for the dependent model and the version data for the updated model or data set used by the first simulation application.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising notifying at least one user in response to determining that the dependent model is antiquated. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising automatically updating the dependent model in response to determining that the dependent model is antiquated. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first simulation application is a fluid simulator, wherein the model or data set used by the first simulation application is a first fluid model, and wherein the method further comprises automatically updating a second fluid model used by the dependent model in response to determining that the dependent model is antiquated. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising automatically running a simulation in the second simulation application using the dependent model and the automatically updated second fluid model used by the dependent model in response to determining that the dependent model is antiquated. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein automatically updating the second fluid model used by the dependent model includes generating the automatically updated second fluid model by performing a tuning or lumping operation on the first fluid model. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein generating the automatically updated second fluid model further includes determining the tuning or lumping operation to be performed by accessing version data for the second fluid model. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first simulation application is a fluid simulator, wherein the model or data set used by the first simulation application is a fluid model, wherein a first version of the fluid model is generated from preliminary data collected from a downhole fluid analyzer, and wherein updating the model or data set used by the first simulation application includes generating a second version of the fluid model from data generated from analysis of a physical fluid sample. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first simulation application is a fluid simulator, wherein the model or data set used by the first simulation application is a first fluid model, wherein the dependent model is among a plurality of coupled dependent models including a reservoir simulation model, a surface network simulation model and a facilities fluid model, and wherein each of the plurality of dependent models uses a different fluid model derived from the first fluid model. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the version data includes a unique identifier, a time stamp, an update history, a lumping scheme, a tuning approach, an experiment from which a data set is derived, or an experiment from which a model is derived. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the version data for the dependent model is attached to the dependent model or maintained in a version database. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the dependent model is antiquated is performed in response to opening a project, the method further comprising determining whether any of a plurality of models or data sets in the project is antiquated. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining whether to update the dependent model based upon an experimental data classification of the dependent model. 
     
     
         14 . A program product, comprising:
 a non-transitory computer readable medium; and   program code stored on the computer readable medium and configured upon execution by at least one processing unit to manage model dependencies by:
 maintaining version data for a model or data set used by a first simulation application; 
 maintaining version data for a dependent model used by a second simulation application and based upon the model or data set used by the first simulation application; 
 updating the model or data set used by the first simulation application, including updating the version data therefor; and 
 after updating the model or data set used by the first simulation application, determining whether the dependent model is antiquated based upon the version data maintained for the dependent model and the version data for the updated model or data set used by the first simulation application. 
   
     
     
         15 . An apparatus, comprising:
 at least one processing unit; and   program code configured upon execution by the at least one processing unit to manage model dependencies by:
 maintaining version data for a model or data set used by a first simulation application; 
 maintaining version data for a dependent model used by a second simulation application and based upon the model or data set used by the first simulation application; 
 updating the model or data set used by the first simulation application, including updating the version data therefor; and 
 after updating the model or data set used by the first simulation application, determining whether the dependent model is antiquated based upon the version data maintained for the dependent model and the version data for the updated model or data set used by the first simulation application. 
   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the program code is further configured to notify at least one user in response to determining that the dependent model is antiquated. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the program code is further configured to automatically update the dependent model in response to determining that the dependent model is antiquated. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the first simulation application is a fluid simulator, wherein the model or data set used by the first simulation application is a fluid model, and wherein the program code is further configured to automatically update a fluid model used by the dependent model in response to determining that the dependent model is antiquated. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the program code is further configured to dynamically tune a fluid model used by a fluid simulator by:
 receiving first user input selecting a first set of one or more properties among a plurality of tunable properties for the fluid model;   in response to receiving the first user input, dynamically running a regression for the first set of one or more properties and generating a display of expected tuning results for the first set of one or more properties;   thereafter receiving second user input selecting a different, second set of one or more properties while the display of expected tuning results for the first set of one or more properties is displayed; and   in response to receiving the second user input, dynamically running a regression for the second set of one or more properties and updating the display to display expected tuning results for the second set of one or more properties.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the program code is configured to dynamically run the regression for the first set of one or more properties and dynamically run the regression for the second set of one or more properties in a background process or thread, to dynamically run the regression for each property in the first set of one or more properties in parallel, and to dynamically run the regression for the first set of one or more properties and dynamically run the regression for the second set of one or more properties as full or fast regressions. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the program code is configured to dynamically run the regression for the first set of one or more properties and dynamically run the regression for the second set of one or more properties each by generating values for an objective function, to generate an initial value for the objective function associated with the fluid model without any tuning, and to dynamically run the regression for the first set of one or more properties by running a regression for each individual property in the first set of one or more properties and running a regression for each possible combination of the properties in the first set of one or more properties. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the program code is further configured to determine properties of a fluid by:
 for each of a plurality of conditions over which to generate a flash grid, determining a range corresponding to the condition;   for each determined range, determining a plurality of values of the corresponding condition and distributed within the range;   for each combination of determined values within the determined ranges of the plurality of conditions, performing a flash calculation to calculate one or more fluid properties of the fluid; and   displaying a visualization based upon the flash calculations.   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of conditions includes n conditions, wherein the program code is further configured to generate an n-dimensional array having n coordinates respectively corresponding to the n conditions, each coordinate including the determined values within the determined range of the corresponding condition. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the program code is further configured to perform flash calculations in parallel, and to interpolate the one or more fluid properties for at least one combination of values of the plurality of conditions. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the program code is further configured to, in response to user input to zoom in on the visualization, perform additional flash calculations within a subset of at least one of the determined ranges, and wherein the program code is further configured to, prior to performing the additional flash calculations, interpolate a fluid property for at least one combination of values of the plurality of conditions within the subset of the at least one of the determined ranges such that the performance of the additional flash calculations replaces the interpolated fluid property. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the program code is further configured to compare fluids modeled by a fluid simulator by:
 receiving user input selecting at least two fluids among a plurality of fluids modeled by the fluid simulator;   in response to the user input, generating a data visualization that compares the selected fluids; and   displaying the data visualization.   
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the program code is further configured to display at least one user control representing the plurality of fluids, wherein the user input is received from the at least one user control. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the program code is further configured to receiving additional user input selecting a different subset of fluids from among the plurality of fluids and dynamically update the data visualization in response to the additional user input. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the program code is further configured to receive additional user input changing a first fluid among the selected fluids and dynamically update the data visualization in response to the additional user input. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the plurality of fluids includes a plurality of versions of a first fluid, and wherein the plurality of versions differ based upon one or more of lumping, tuning or flash package.