Comparative Solution Project

Call For Participation

This call for participation in the 11th Society of Petroleum Engineers Comparative Solution Project (the 11th SPE CSP) is motivated by the simulation challenges associated with CO₂ storage operations in geological settings, specifically developing simulations of realistic complexity. 

Image credit: Martin Fernø, Lluis Saló-Salgado and Jan Martin Nordbotten

Safe and efficient implementation of geological carbon storage (GCS) necessarily relies on reservoir simulators applied to uncertain geological data. While the strengths and limitations of reservoir simulation are well appreciated within petroleum production, GCS raises new challenges both in terms of physical processes and timescales.

As an example, the enhancement of dissolution from a CO₂-rich supercritical phase to the aqueous phase through convective mixing ensures important long-term storage security, relevant on timescales from decades to centuries.

One consequence of the relative youth of the GCS industry, combined with the long timescales and new physical processes of interest, is that available field data for validation of simulation technology is still rare. This increases the importance of validation against proxy systems, and code verification through comprehensive benchmarking efforts.

In developing this 11th SPE CSP, we hope to provide a common platform and reference case for numerical simulation of GCS. Specifically, we anticipate that the following topics can be discussed relative to this baseline: 

• Development and verification of accurate and efficient discretization methods for multiphase, multicomponent flow and transport. 
   
• Development and verification of space-time adaptive gridding and domain decomposition methods. 
   
• Development and verification of robust and efficient linear and non-linear solvers for 2D and 3D at laboratory and field conditions.
   
• Assessment of the importance of physical processes omitted from this study, including (but not limited to) geochemical reactions, mechanical response and more realistic boundary conditions. 

The CSP contains three versions:

Version 11A is a 2D geometry at the laboratory scale, inspired by a recent CO₂ storage forecasting and validation study.

For Version 11B, the 2D geometry and operational conditions from 11A are rescaled to field conditions characteristic of the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

Finally, for Version 11C, the geometry of version 11B is extruded to a full 3D field model.

The CSP has a two-year timeline, being launched at the 2023 SPE Reservoir Simulation Conference, and culminating at the 2025 SPE Reservoir Simulation Conference.

Please view the video below for visual introduction to case C of the 11th SPE CSP:

Explore the SPE 11C geometry further using in an interactive environment.

The CSP has been prepared and coordinated by Jan M. Nordbotten, Martin Fernø, University of Bergen; Anthony R. Kovscek, Stanford University; Knut-Andreas Lie, SINTEF and Bernd Flemisch, University of Stuttgart.

More details can be found in the CSP description (PDF). Supplementary material such as geometry descriptions and scripts for thermodynamic relations can be found in the associated GitHub repository. Discuss the project with other participants by joining the CSP discussion group on SPEConnect.

TIMELINE

29 March 2023
Official announcement at 2023 SPE Reservoir Simulation Conference

16-18 October 2023
Special session at SPE ATCE

1 December 2023
Open call for participation period ends,
Signed ​​​​​​​Agreement for Participation due

1 March 2024
Deadline for submission of early results 

14 March 2024
First intercomparison workshop
​​​​​​​(13:00-17:00 CET, virtual)

1 September 2024
Deadline for submission of final CSP simulation results 

17-18 October 2024
Final intercomparison workshop (hybrid)

December 2024
Completion of draft report on the results of the CSP

February 2025
Report on the results of the CSP finalized and submitted

March 2025
Special session at the 2025 SPE Reservoir Simulation Conference 

FURTHER INFORMATION

11th CSP Special Issue in SPE Journal

SPE Journal will be receiving peer-reviewed submissions that are both directly and indirectly related to the 11th CSP. More information can be found in the call for papers.

Project details: 11th SPE CSP description available from SPE Journal

Supplementary material such as geometry descriptions and scripts for thermodynamic relations: GitHub repository

Discussion board: CSP group on SPEConnect