Systems approach in oil-and-gas science. Problems and solutions
Oil-and-gas science cover both theory and practice of oil and gas field development as well as adjoining scientific branches (petrophysics, well testing, well logging, 3D geologic modeling and 3D hydrodynamic simulation, reserves estimation and others). That is hierarchically structured system of scientific branches aimed at achievement of efficient oil-and-gas field development. Mentioned system of scientific branches has been forming during last decades. It is based on fundamental equations of 3D multiphase flow presented by Muscat and Meres (1936). With time lapse a number of indicated scientific braches started to position itself as being self-sufficient. That is the idea of systems approach to fields development began to be violated. This drawback significantly manifested itself during last years in connection with widespread adoption of 3D computer simulation. The isolation described has lead to appearance of vain imaginations and divergences in the research methodology. The new concept of effective pore space (EPS) permits to detect inconsistencies and to repair the systems approach in the oil-and-gas science. This concept possesses of its own partial differential equations of 3D multiphase flow (2005). EPS concept does not only harmonize the step-by-step procedure in the whole system of hierarchically interconnected scientific branches. But it also leads to new possibilities, new technologies in both the theory and practice of oil-and-gas field development itself.