Channeling paths identification and mitigation by using integrated profile control and flooding based on meshless connection element method
by Wei Yong, Zhijie Wei, Jian Zhang, Wensheng Zhou, Yuyang Liu, Wentao Zhan, Wei Liu, Yixin Zhang, Jiaxu Mei
Advances in Differential Equations and Control Processes, Vol.33, No.3, 2026;
Addressing the challenge of quantitatively identifying deep thief zones in mature oilfields during the high water-cut stage, this study proposes a robust quantitative characterization model for thief channels based on the non-Euclidean, meshless Connection Element Method (CEM) to directly guide in-depth fluid diversion and integrated profile control and flooding treatments through automated flow path tracking rooted in a directed-graph depth-first search algorithm. To systematically capture the complex subsurface topological network, a comprehensive multi-parameter connectivity parameter system was constructed by integrating key dynamic indicators, including connection conductivity, connection volume, and path splitting coefficients. By dynamically coupling these parameters with the field-wide Lorentz coefficient, a dimensionless channeling factor was defined to establish a rigorous four-level quantitative standard—ranging from extreme channeling to matrix seepage—thereby successfully advancing preferential pathway evaluation from qualitative inference to spatial grading and precise localization. Quantitative validation against conventional commercial grid-based compositional simulators demonstrates the superior fidelity and performance forecasting efficiency of the proposed method: the CEM framework achieves an exceptionally accurate water-cut prediction Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of approximately 3.8%. Crucially, by abstracting continuous domains into streamlined networks, it drastically compresses structural degrees of freedom, successfully accelerating the operational execution runtime from 7.3 s to a mere 1.6 s. Ultimately, this work provides a computationally highly efficient, physically sound novel approach for the reliable mapping and graded quantification of deep dominant channeling pathways in mature heterogeneous oilfields.
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