Comparative Solution Project

11th SPE Comparative Solutions Project

The 11th Society of Petroleum Engineers Comparative Solution Project (SPE11) benchmarked numerical simulation tools for geological carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage, running from 2023 to 2024. This international effort saw 45 research groups from academia and industry sign up, with 18 ultimately contributing results to the study. SPE11 represents a significant step in advancing simulation capabilities for CO₂ storage, a key technology for mitigating climate change.

Advancing CO₂ Storage Simulation

Building on decades of petroleum reservoir simulation research, CO₂ storage modeling leverages many of the same fundamental techniques, including multiphase flow modeling, numerical discretization, and reservoir-scale simulation frameworks. However, CO₂ storage also introduces unique challenges, such as well placement strategies, long-term storage security, and the balance of physical processes governing plume migration.

SPE11 was designed to assess how state-of-the-art reservoir simulators perform in modeling these complexities. By establishing a set of common benchmark cases and systematically comparing solutions, the project provided valuable insights into numerical accuracy, computational efficiency, and key uncertainties. As with previous SPE Comparative Solution Projects, the findings not only validated existing modeling approaches but also identified areas for future research and software development.

The results of SPE11 serve as a lasting reference for the subsurface modeling community, supporting the continued evolution of CO₂ storage simulation tools.

Benchmark Cases

SPE11 was designed around three distinct subcases, each targeting different aspects of CO₂ storage simulation:

• SPE11A – A controlled laboratory-scale experiment.

• SPE11B – A vertical 2D field-scale transect.

• SPE11C – A full 3D field-scale model. 

These subcases share a common geometric framework, reducing the setup overhead for participants while exploring variations in physical scaling, pressure-temperature conditions, and computational challenges. Together, they provide a comprehensive testbed for assessing simulation accuracy and robustness.

Data and Online Resources

To maximize the impact of the study, all valid SPE11 submissions have been curated into a publicly accessible dataset, available through multiple resources:

• SPE11-at-a-glance – A dedicated webpage at spe.org provides  a quick visual overview, including sparse-data plots, selected dense-data snapshots, and illustrative movies for each submission. This page is statically generated from an open-source script, ensuring reproducibility and potential future updates.

• Full SPE11 Dataset – The complete dataset, containing all submitted results, can be downloaded from DOI: 10.18419/DARUS-4750

• Interactive Online Access – All scripts for data analysis and visualization are available on GitHub, where users can explore the dataset, regenerate study figures, and even compare their own simulation results to the SPE11 benchmark using an integrated JupyterLab environment.

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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.