Simulation With a Full-Tensor Coefficient Velocity Field Recovered From a Diagonal-Tensor Solution

Abstract

Summary Commercial simulators generally assume that the pressure equation always has a diagonal-tensor permeability field. However, cases that involve the use of non-Cartesian grids, crossbedding, or upscaling (or any combination thereof) will give rise to a full-tensor coefficient velocity field. Discretization of a full tensor increases the scheme stencil, simulation cost, and complexity of implementation. The focus of this paper is on the development of fully implicit finite-volume schemes that can allow full-tensor fluxes while retaining standard-matrix inversion.