DrCarl Jacquemyn

CURRENT RESEARCH
Grid-Free Surface-based reservoir modelling
"My geology is too complex for my grid"

Surface-based modelling is a new approach to modelling subsurface heterogeneity and flow simulations. Surface-based reservoir modelling uses a boundary representation approach in which ALL heterogeneity of interest (structural, stratigraphic, sedimentological, diagenetic) is modelled by its bounding surfaces, independent of any grid. This allows efficient creation of geological models without the limitations of pre-defined grids (goodbye to stairstepping, pinchout cells, connectivity loss and fine-to-coarse grid upscaling).
The simple example above shows the difference between surface-based modelling & simulation and conventional approaches of exactly the same geometry. The thinner high-permeability channels at the top are completely bypassed by conventional simulation whereas they act as thief zone when they are preserved.
SKETCH-BASED GEOLOGICAL MODELLING
Creating models of the subsurface can be a time-consuming and challenging effort. When testing out different hypotheses, scenarios or geological interpretations, such long and slow workflows are not the ideal tool to use. Rapid Reservoir Modelling (RRM) is a software tool that allows to sketch geological interpretations in 3D to quickly produce a model/prototype of the features of interest. Key static and dynamic parameters (volumetrics, partitioning, time-of-flight) are then computed to assess and compare the impact of e.g. the current interpretation or well patterns. New prototypes can be sketched and results computed within minutes.

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Quantification of geological phenomena3D spatial distribution and geometry of sedimentary facies and diagenesisCarbonate sedimentology and diagenesisRemote sensing and 3D outcrop model integrationImpact of diagenesis on petrophysical properties

The animation above shows how lithology is extracted from a
3D outcrop model of the Latemar (Dolomites, N-Italy). The distribution of dolomite (red), limestone (blue) and mafic dikes (yellow) is groundtruthed with >950 rock samples (green) that also provided petrophysical and geochemical properties.
Previous Research projects


Designing geothermal WELl representation for Surface-based modelling
Flow simulation of surface-based reservoir models with dynamically adaptive meshes requires accurate well representations. The challenge was to design a well representation that is flexible to capture any complex well trajectories and branching of (multi)laterals, while also being preserved as computational meshes are updated throughout simulations. This was originally set up for geothermal reservoirs, but is applicable to any type of flow simulation.

Storm scours in Arab-D
Rudstone-filled scours in the Jurassic Arab-D Mb. are likely to have an important impact of flow behaviour. We studied outcrop analogues in Saudi Arabia to understand the origin of these deposits and quantify their geometry and related facies distribution (see results here). The impact on flow behaviour is tested by implementing these results into surface-based reservoir models for flow simulation, a new approach to create grid-free geologically-realistic models
BIOGRAPHY
Research Fellow, dept. of Earth Science & Engineering, Imperial College London (2019 - present)

Research Associate, dept. of Earth Science & Engineering, Imperial College London (2013 - 2019)PhD, dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium (2009-2013)Research Assistant, dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium (2007-2013)MSc, Mining & Geotechnical Engineering, KU Leuven, Belgium (2002-2007)

Surface-based reservoir modelling: Generating realistic geological heterogeneity for reservoir modelling and simulation

Authors: Carl Jacquemyn, Matthew D. Jackson, Gary J. HampsonPresented as a poster at Geological Society of London conference on: Capturing Geoscience in Geomodels.Animations and posters are not very compatible, so we have assembled the animations here.

Animations
Figure 1. Example of a surface-based reservoir model of alternating high and low permeability strata, displaced by a conjugate set of normal faults. It shows the initial tetrahedral mesh before simulation. Simulation of a waterflooding experiment across the model. The tetrahedral mesh is adapted during simulation to focus computational effort where needed.
Figure 6. Example of surface-based reservoir model representing an upper Brent Group sequence, comprised of channelised fluvial deposits overlain by 2 parasequences of prograding shoreface clinoforms.
Figure 7. Example of surface-based reservoir model representing a meandering channel. Lateral accretion deposits are shown alternating in grey and yellow and oxbow lake deposits (dark grey). The cross section of the final channel volume (white) shows curvature-dependent asymmetry