MODEL-BASED CONTROL OF SUBSURFACE FLOW

An emerging method to increase the recovery from oil reservoirs is the application of measurement and control techniques to better control subsurface flow over the life of the reservoir. In particular the use of sensors and remotely controllable valves in wells and at surface, in combination with large-scale subsurface flow models is promising. Various elements from process control may play a role in such ‘closed-loop’ reservoir management, in particular optimization, parameter estimation and model reduction techniques.