Abstract

Reservoir flow modeling is a critical technology for advancing the energy transition, enabling study of fundamental mechanisms and efficient operation management in subsurface processes from hydrocarbon or geothermal recovery to geological gas storage. However, accurately modeling fluid flow within complex geology and multi-physics systems remains prohibitively expensive and computationally demanding.

This seminar explores a suite of advanced modeling technologies designed to overcome this challenge. We begin with high-fidelity physics-based simulators/models, and validate their capability in capturing intricate subsurface mechanisms. We then introduce how hybrid physics-data models bridge the gap, efficiently handling field development with complex geology and fractures to enable rapid history matching and forecasting within closed-loop reservoir management. Finally, we showcase how deep learning proxies, trained on physical principles, can surpass traditional speed barriers and address modeling challenges in multi-scale heterogeneity.

Biography 

Bicheng Yan is an Assistant Professor in Reservoir Engineering at KAUST since 2021. Prior to joining KAUST, he conducted his postdoctoral research at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, and worked in petroleum companies for five years in Texas, U.S., in multiple roles including asset reservoir lead, reservoir simulation engineer, and data scientist. He earned his PhD and MSc in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University in U.S. and a BSc from the China University of Petroleum (Beijing). His recent research focuses on coupled multi-physics simulation, data-driven modeling, and closed-loop reservoir management for geo-energy applications. He has authored and co-authored over 90 peer-reviewed journals and 70 major conference papers in related areas.

He currently serves as an Associate Editor for Geoenergy Science and Engineering and is a member of the Early Career Editorial Board for Gas Science and Engineering. He also actively contributes to several international technical committees, including the SPE Reservoir Simulation Conference, SPE ADIPEC, GOTECH, IPTC, MEOS-GEO, and the AGU Fall.