Author: Svetlana Bazilevich

Rock Flow Dynamics (RFD) is pleased to announce the release of the latest version of our flagship product, tNavigator. Version 23.2 is now available to users.

tNavigator has long been recognized as a powerful tool for reservoir engineers and geologists, providing accurate modeling and simulation of complex reservoir behavior. The latest version brings significant advancements to all modules, enhancing the overall capabilities of the software.

Updates and improvements affected the Simulator kernel and GUI, AHM and Uncertainty module, Geology and Model Designer, Seismic, Fracture Simulator, Network, Well and PVT Designer, Material Balance Analyzer, and also in a part of Resource sharing.

Key new features in 23.2:

Simulator kernel:

• Calculation on NVIDIA Hopper graphic cards is now supported. It uses CUDA® 11.8, which does not require driver updates, according to the manufacturer’s statement.
• For compositional models in E3 format with the CO2STORE option, it is now possible to use different models of activity coefficients to take into account the influence of salts on CO2 dissolution in water.
• For compositional models, the Spycher and Pruess model can be used to model CO₂ dissolution in water.
• A new equation of state is now supported: CPA-SRK. It allows describing systems with strong self-association, in particular, gas hydrates in the reservoir.
• The Hysteretic Rock Compaction option (ROCKTABH) can now be used for thermal models.

Simulator GUI:

• A new setting has been added to automatically run Graph Calculator scripts after the model calculation is completed.

Assisted History Matching and Uncertainty:

• It is now possible to have the influence of variables on objects localized by user-defined regions.

Geology Designer:

• The line style of well trajectories in the 2D and Cross-Section windows can now be set up manually or depending on their distance from the cross-section plane.
• A new object titled “Well Numeric Info” has been added to the tNavigator project tree to store time-dependent information on wells.
• A new object has been added: Dips. It stores information about the azimuth, dip angle, and 3D coordinates of a dip not associated with any well, unlike Well Dips. Dips can be visualized on the 2D and 3D tabs, imported/exported in various formats, modified with Dips Calculator, etc.
• A new calculation for horizon creation has been added: Horizon by Contour Lines. Contour lines can be represented by point sets or (and) polygons.

Seismic:

• When ZGY files or 2D seismic data are imported, they can be assigned a coordinate reference system (CRS) which is different from the project CRS.

Model Designer:

• Several variants of correlation parameters for relative permeabilities (RP) may now be multiedited.
• PVT variants may now be created using correlations and edited.
• IPR curves may now be created and modified.
• It is now possible to create a Stacked Plot in Graph Templates.

Fracture Simulator:

• Tubing specification and perforation intervals from Well Designer can now be used in Fracture Simulator.

Network Designer:

• Graph Calculator has been implemented.
• A new surface network object titled “Heat Exchanger” has been added to model the heat transfer between two media.
• For Standalone models and models integrated via connections, it is now possible to set fluid flow velocity control in the pipe via user-selected wells.

Well Designer:

• The Dietz Shape Factor calculation is now supported. A shape factor allows calculating the impact of a well position in the drainage area of an arbitrary geometry for the Darcy and Forchheimer IPR models.

Material Balance Analyzer:

• On the Scheme tab, aquifers and wells may now be created and connected to reservoirs.
• History matching of relative permeability curve parameters to well production history data is now available.

PVT Designer:

• The calculation of NaCl and CaCl2 salts precipitation is supported for models employing the CO2STORE option.
• A new equation of state, Soave–Redlich–Kwong with CPA, is now supported.
• Microemulsions (water-oil-surfactant) can now be set up with their properties calculated, visualized on a ternary plot, and taken into account in a PVT Calculator experiment.

Resource sharing

• Agent machine resources are organized in logical nodes
• Logical nodes are assigned to different queues
• Resource sharing turns on and off as scheduled

To learn more, visit the Rock Flow Dynamics corporate portal.

Rock Flow Dynamics continues to expand its team and operations globally and has recently opened a development centre in Belgrade, Serbia. RFD’s hub aims to support the creation of tNavigator — a state-of-the-art reservoir modelling and simulation platform that offers advanced innovative tools for geology, geophysics, and reservoir engineering disciplines.

The decision to establish a presence in Belgrade comes as a result of RFD’s commitment better to serve its growing customer base in the European market. The new office will serve as a hub for sales, support, and consulting services, enabling RFD to provide enhanced local assistance to its regional clients.

Rock Flow Dynamics operates in 45 countries worldwide and delivers software solutions to over 250 clients globally.

Rock Flow Dynamics released the second update in 2022 of the tNavigator software package. Version 22.2 is now available to users. Updates and improvements affected the simulator kernel, AHM and Uncertainty module, Geology and Model Designer, PVT Designer, Well, and Network Designer.

Key new features in 22.2:

In the Simulator kernel:

• For compositional models in E3 format, the option of rock wettability dependence on the adsorbed solid concentration is now supported.
• For compositional models, the simulation of acid-base reactions by setting equilibrium constants in the water phase is now supported.
• The option of blockwise specification of the power parameter for the Corey/LET RP correlations is now supported.
• It is now possible to modify endpoint scaling properties in blocks with fractures.
• Results upscaling for further export in binary format (GRID, EGRID, INIT, UNRST, and UNSMRY files) is now available. Grid scaling is performed in accordance with the algorithm of the COARSEN keyword.

In the Simulator GUI:

• Production calculation and display of results by branches of multilateral wells are now supported.

In the Assisted History Matching and Uncertainty module:

• It is now possible to display an initial probability density function of variables, cumulative distribution function (CDF) and quantiles on a histogram.

In Geology and Model Designers:

• The following new attributes have been added for series objects in the Crossplot tab: symbol size, symbol type and opacity.

In Geology Designer:

• A 3D-Grid may be created based on a source one, which will be cut by the specified faults (the Create Grid by Faults Cutting calculation).
• The amplitude between fault lines may be set using a pre-created fault attribute (the Correct Fault Lines Amplitude by Attribute calculation).

In Model Designer:

• The interface to set the parameters of chemical reactions is now available.
• In FS Simulator, a multicomponent model can now be used to calculate the flow when injecting fluids and proppants of several types.
• In FS Simulator, it is now possible to calculate simultaneous propagation of fractures from multiple perforations located at a small distance from one another in a specified wellbore range.
• In FS Simulator,  the liquid and proppant flows, the liquid composition and the well diameter are now used to calculate the pressure losses in injection.

In Well Designer:

• It is now possible to calculate IPR correlation parameters as a function of bottomhole and reservoir pressure.

In Network Designer:

• It is now possible to set temperature zones for pipes.
• A new Valve object has been added to allow/prohibit fluid backflow.
• It is now possible to set a maximum flow limitation for an automatic choke. To calculate the diameter of the automatic choke, simultaneous setting of a flow limitation and a control type for inlet/outlet pressure is now supported.

A full list of improvements is available on corporate portal.