pycopm: An open-source tool to tailor OPM Flow geological models

Abstract

Reservoir simulations help the energy industry make better decisions by predicting how fluids like oil, gas, water, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide will flow underground. To keep these predictions accurate, engineers often need to update geological models quickly as new information becomes available. pycopm is a tool designed to make this process faster and easier. It allows users to adjust geological models in several ways, such as simplifying complex grids, focusing on specific parts of a reservoir, or changing the shape and position of the model. These capabilities help engineers test different scenarios efficiently. Although pycopm was first used on two well-known public datasets, it has since become useful in many other situations because of its easy-to-use features and recent extensions. Today, it supports studies involving model refinement, comparing coarse and detailed models, analyzing interactions between nearby sites, and speeding up troubleshooting in large simulations.