IN-SITU COMBUSTION PROCESS SIMULATOR WITH A MOVING FRONT REPRESENTATION.

A description is given of THERMS, a new three phase black oil simulator for in-situ combustion processes. The model can also simulate steam and hot water injection operations. To simulate field scale in-situ combustion projects, THERMS uses experimental data obtained from laboratory combustion tube runs. Detailed kinetics and thermodynamic relations are not used. The model treats the burning zone as a moving front. The front is viewed not only as a moving heat source, but also as a displacement pump enhancing oil flow. This approach results in a new algorithm. The new algorithm allows the user to specify the amount of oil to be burned as obtained from the experimental data, with the assumptions of block oil and instantaneous combustion reaction. THERMS couples all the constitutive equations of mass and energy conservation with the individual well constraints.