Simulation an‎d Scheduling of underground gas storage in reservoirs with active aquifer

2/19/2026 12:00:00 AM

Nowadays the use of underground gas storage has become a key tool in the industry, employed both by the private sector for commercial purposes an‎d by the public sector to create strategic reserves. Optimal decision-making regarding the gas storage operation process plays an important role in reducing costs an‎d improving reservoir efficiency. At the same time, the presence of an active aquifer adjacent to the storage reservoir introduces challenges an‎d complexities in reservoir management. eva‎luating the impacts of the aquifer on the storage reservoir’s performance provides the basis for better decision-making in the technical an‎d economic management of the reservoir. In this study, by developing a reservoir simulation model an‎d performing a series of sensitivity analyses, the effects of various factors on the technical an‎d economic performance of the reservoir were eva‎luated. Subsequently, by defining different scenarios for reservoir management an‎d optimizing the gas storage process under each scenario, the superior reservoir control method, which results in the highest profitability, was determined. Then, using the selec‎ted scenario, the sensitivity of optimization variables to reservoir an‎d aquifer parameters was analyzed to assess the stability of the optimal solutions under different operational conditions. Furthermore, by comparing the time required to perform the optimization process using two different simulators, the more efficient option for reducing computational time was introduced. Finally, the optimization process was applied to the actual model of one of Iran’s underground gas storage reservoirs an‎d suitable operational conditions for achieving greater profitability in this reservoir were proposed. Based on the obtained results an‎d considering the conditions of the reservoir simulation model, managing gas production an‎d injection processes by employing minimum an‎d maximum bottom-hole pressures an‎d assuming these pressures remain constant throughout the cold an‎d warm seasons, yields the highest economic efficiency in underground gas storage. The profitability of the storage process in the simulated reservoir model was 2.832 billion dollars before optimization, which increased to 3.305 billion dollars after optimization. Also, in the real Iranian gas storage reservoir model, the profitability increased from 0.442 billion dollars before optimization to 1.386 billion dollars after optimization. In addition, it was found that using the MBAL simulator instead of the ECLIPSE simulator significantly reduces the computational time required for the optimization process.

شبيه‌‌سازي , بهينه‌سازي , ذخيره‌‌سازي زيرزميني گاز , آبده فعال , گاز بالشتي

Simulation , Optimization , Underground gas storage , Active aquifer , Cushion gas

Behzad Rabiei

Dr. Assareh, M.