PetroMod

PETROLEUM SYSTEMS MODELING SOFTWARE

Version 2014.1
RELEASE NOTES

Copyright Notice
Copyright 2014 Schlumberger. All rights reserved.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or translated in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and
recording, without the prior written permission of Schlumberger Information Solutions,
5599 San Felipe, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77056-2722.

Disclaimer

Use of this product is governed by the License Agreement. Schlumberger makes no

warranties, express, implied, or statutory, with respect to the product described herein and
disclaims without limitation any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular
purpose. Schlumberger reserves the right to revise the information in this manual at any time
without notice.

Trademark Information

*Mark of Schlumberger. Certain other products and product names are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective companies or organizations.

PetroMod 2014.1

Contents
About PetroMod ....................................................................................................... 5
Key Capabilities in this Release ............................................................................ 5
MPI Runtime Environment ...................................................................................... 7
Converting PetroMod 2013 Projects to PetroMod 2014 .......................................... 8
Before converting a project .................................................................................. 8
How to convert a project ...................................................................................... 9
New in PetroMod 2014.1 ....................................................................................... 10
Overlays ............................................................................................................. 10
Geomechanics / Rock Stress .............................................................................. 11
PetroMod 1D....................................................................................................... 12
PetroBuilder 2D and PetroBuilder 3D ................................................................. 13
PetroBuilder 2D .................................................................................................. 13
PetroBuilder 3D .................................................................................................. 15
Kinetics Editor .................................................................................................... 15
Lithology Editor .................................................................................................. 16
Component Editor............................................................................................... 17
PVT Editor ........................................................................................................... 18
Well Editor .......................................................................................................... 18
Simulator ............................................................................................................ 19
Viewer 3D, Viewer 2D and Viewer 1D................................................................. 21
Viewer 2D ........................................................................................................... 21
Viewer 3D ........................................................................................................... 22
Bug Fixes and Enhancements ................................................................................ 24
Known Issues ........................................................................................................ 26
All Modules ......................................................................................................... 26
Project Anonymizer ............................................................................................ 26
PetroMod 1D....................................................................................................... 26

Release Notes

PetroBuilder 2D .................................................................................................. 27
PetroBuilder 3D .................................................................................................. 28
Lithology Editor .................................................................................................. 29
Simulator ............................................................................................................ 29
Viewer 2D ........................................................................................................... 32
Viewer 3D ........................................................................................................... 33
PetroCharge Express .......................................................................................... 34
PetroRisk ............................................................................................................ 34
PetroReport ........................................................................................................ 34
Video Producer ................................................................................................... 35
System Requirements............................................................................................ 36
Hardware requirements ..................................................................................... 36
Software requirements....................................................................................... 36
Licensing ............................................................................................................... 38
Support .................................................................................................................. 39
Additional Help Information ............................................................................... 40

PetroMod 2014.1

About PetroMod
PetroMod* petroleum systems modeling software combines seismic, well, and geological
information to model the evolution of a sedimentary basin. PetroMod software will predict if,
and how, a reservoir has been charged with hydrocarbons, including the source and timing of
hydrocarbon generation, migration routes, quantities, and hydrocarbon type in the subsurface
or at surface conditions.
PetroMod oil and gas migration modeling technology is the most advanced commercially
available tool and the only commercial system with fully PVT controlled modeling of ncomponent/3-phase relationships during the entire migration process. Multiple simulation
methods, i.e., Darcy, flow path (ray tracing), invasion percolation (IP), and the PetroMod
hybrid Darcy/flow path/IP simulator, can be used with the same data models. The 2D and 3D
migration modeling technology uses flash calculations throughout the entire model and its
geologic history. This delivers an improved understanding and prediction of petroleum
properties and oil versus gas probability assessments.
PetroMod 2014.1 combines a state-of-the-art user interface and high simulation performance
that enables the user to perform sophisticated analyses of the dynamic temperature, pressure
and migration history of complex geologic systems in a fast and intuitive, process-focused
workflow. The unification of the 2D and 3D model builder and new viewer capabilities allow a
fast switch between 2D and 3D model setup and analysis which saves time and costs.

Key Capabilities in this Release

The number of mass and volume overlays in the Masses group has been reduced to a
set of base overlays. From these base overlays, you can create all other mass and
volume overlays on demand using the Create combined overlays function in the
PetroMod Viewers. This significantly reduces the amount of output data generated
by the Simulator and allows you to create a large number of new, combined
overlays.

The Geomechanics tab in the Lithology Editor has been renamed to Rock stress.
The tab has been redesigned and contains these new features and changes:
- Material model: The material model describes the relation between stress and
strain.
- Poissons ratio model: The new Poissons ratio model Linear from porosity
configures the Poissons ratio to be a linear function of porosity.
- Grain modulus of elasticity: This new parameter describes the modulus of
elasticity of the rock grain matrix.
- Failure criterion: The failure criterion is a straight line in the effective mean
stress/deviator stress diagram.

The Middelburg generation method has been added for biogenic reactions. This gives
you the choice of three generation methods for user-defined biogenic reactions in the
Kinetics Editor: Gaussian distribution, Constant rate or Middelburg.

Release Notes

Include the dissolution and diffusion of methane in water in the simulation run.

Track C13 and D isotope fractions. This feature enables you to calibrate the isotopic
composition in accumulations.

By default, the output overlay files are compressed to reduce the size of the output
data.

The default adsorption adjustment factor is now 100% for all kinetics.

You can change the relative permeabilities of user-defined lithologies in the Lithology
Editor.

PetroMod 2014.1

MPI Runtime Environment

An MPI runtime environment must be installed on your computer. Otherwise you will not be
able to open the PetroMod 2014 Simulator.
The MPI runtime environment is required for both single and parallel processing on Windows
and Linux systems:
Windows: Microsoft HPC 2008 R2 SP3 MPI
Linux: Intel MPI 4.1.3.048
Please refer to the PetroMod 2014 Installation Guide for more information.

Release Notes

Converting PetroMod 2013 Projects to

PetroMod 2014
PetroMod 2013 projects must be converted before they can be opened in PetroMod 2014.

Before converting a project

Before you convert a project to version 2014, please read this section carefully.

Biogenic reactions in the Kinetics Editor

If your project contains user-defined biogenic reactions, open the Kinetics Editor in
PetroMod 2013 and make sure either Gaussian Distribution or Constant Rate is selected in
the Primary Reactions tab.

If neither of these options is selected, the conversion will use the default Gaussian distribution
and set the Mean Temperature and Standard Deviation to zero. The following warning
message appears during the conversion:
WARNING: PROJECT CONTAINS UNDEFINED BIOGENIC REACTION:
BiogenicReaction is set to a default Gaussian distribution.

Adsorption adjustment factor

When you convert a project from PetroMod 2013 to PetroMod 2014, the kinetics supplied with
the PetroMod software are given the default adsorption adjustment factor of 100%. Userdefined kinetics retain the adsorption adjustment factors they had in PetroMod 2013.

Saturation endpoints in the Lithology Editor

If you entered a value of zero for a saturation endpoint in the Seal Properties tab in the
Lithology Editor in PetroMod 2013, the respective saturation endpoint will be set to the new
default value in PetroMod 2014.1:
Connate water = 5%
Critical saturation gas = 0%
Critical saturation oil = 0.1%

PetroMod 2014.1

Water solubility fraction factor

The default value of the water solubility fraction factor in the Miscellaneous > Pore Water
tab has changed. The new default value is 1.
When you convert a project to PetroMod 2014, all the lithologies supplied with PetroMod will
have the new default value. If you have a value of 0.1 in a user-defined lithology in PetroMod
2013, the lithology will have the new default value of 1 in PetroMod 2014.

Multipoint curves in the Calibration Editor

In PetroMod 2014.1 the X unit of multipoint curves must be a fraction. If you converted a
PetroMod 2012 project containing user-defined curves with different X units to PetroMod
2013, the X unit might not be a fraction. In this case, the conversion to PetroMod 2014 will
issue a warning.
To fix
1.
2.
3.
4.

the X unit prior to conversion:

Open the Calibration Editor in PetroMod 2013.
Create a new multipoint curve.
Copy and paste the X and Y values from the original curve to the new curve.
The X unit is automatically set to Fraction. Choose the Y unit.

You can also use the above workflow after conversion using the PetroMod 2014 Calibration
Editor.

How to convert a project

To convert a project use the Convert 2013 to 2014 tool in the PetroMod Command
Menu.

Release Notes

New in PetroMod 2014.1

This section describes the new features and changes that have been implemented in
PetroMod 2014.1. Please also refer to the descriptions of these features in the respective
PetroMod user guides.

Overlays
The following changes have been made to the overlays in PetroMod 2014.1.

Base overlays
The number of mass and volume overlays in the Masses group has been reduced to a set of
base overlays. From these base overlays, you can create all other mass and volume overlays
on demand using the Create combined overlays function in the PetroMod Viewers. This
significantly reduces the amount of output data generated by the Simulator and allows you to
create a large number of new, combined overlays.
For information on creating combined overlays in the PetroMod Viewers, please refer to the

PetroMod 1D, Viewer 2D and Viewer 3D user guides.

New overlays
PetroMod 2014.1 contains these new overlays:

General > Per Unit

-

Cell volume: the volume of each cell

Pore volume: the volume of the pore space of each cell

Petroleum Properties
-

Delta D Methane: The current delta deuterium methane value for each cell.
Water Solubility: The overlay displays the distribution of the water saturation.

Renamed overlays
These overlays have been renamed:
Group

Name in PetroMod 2013

Name in PetroMod 2014

Rock Stress

Yieldline distance

Stress over failure

Masses > Generated

Generation Rate: Bulk, Oil/Gas,

Components

Generation Rate per TOC mass:

Bulk, Oil/Gas, Components

Petroleum Properties

Delta 13C_1

Delta 13 Methane

Delta 13C_2

Delta 13 Ethane

Delta 13C_3

Delta 13 Propane

PetroMod 2014.1

10

Other changes
The following overlay groups and overlays have been removed, renamed or restructured:

The In Situ volumes group has been removed from the Simulator interface and the
overlays that were in this group are no longer generated by the Simulator. You can
create the In Situ volumes overlays using the Create combined overlays function
in the PetroMod Viewers. Use these settings in the Create combined overlays
dialog:
Unit type

Base Overlay

Time Type

Mass Type

Relation

Free In Situ Oil

Volume

In situ
volume

In Place/Liquid

Total

Petroleum

none

Free In Situ Gas

Volume

In situ
volume

In Place/Vapor

Total

Petroleum

none

The Gas Diffusion Coefficient overlay (Petroleum Properties group) has been
deleted and replaced by the Water Diffusion Coefficient overlay.

The Rock Stress group has been restructured into more intuitive sub groups.

The overlays in the Surface Volumes group have been arranged into new sub
groups to account for all the new surface volume overlays that can be created with the
Create combined overlays function in the PetroMod Viewers.

Combined overlays
Use the Create combined overlays function in the Overlays drop-down list in PetroMod
1D, Viewer 2D and Viewer 3D to create mass and volume overlays on demand from the
set of base overlays in the Masses overlay group.

Geomechanics / Rock Stress

The Geomechanics tab in the Lithology Editor has been renamed. It is now called Rock
stress. The tab has been redesigned and contains several new features. See the Lithology
Editor in this section of the release notes.

11

Release Notes

PetroMod 1D
Well assignment
The Well assignment dialog is now more intuitive to use and provides a clearer overview of
assigned wells.

Model from picks

The Assign from Well Pick button in the Main input table is now called Model from
picks.

When you click the button, a dialog opens showing the assigned wells and the picks belonging
to each well. Click the Take button next to a well to create layers from the picks.

Boundary conditions
In PetroMod 2014 there are two dialogs for the boundary conditions on the Input pane:

Boundary conditions tables: edit the boundary conditions via the tables.
Boundary conditions plots: graphically edit the boundary conditions

This enables you to open the dialogs separately for improved visualization. The dialogs are
interlinked: When you change a value in one of the dialogs, the other updates automatically.
Import trends:
This is a new function in the context menu of the Boundary condition tables dialog. Use
the function to import boundary condition trends from any of the models on the Model pane.
You also use this function to assign default boundary condition trends.

Output ages
The way you use the Output ages table has changed. When you simulate a model, the
Simulator uses all the ages in the Main input table as well as any ages entered into the tools
and boundary condition tables to generate the output model.

PetroMod 2014.1

12

Use the Output Ages table to enter additional ages that will also be used by the Simulator to
generate the output model.

Thrusting
The following changes have been implemented in the Thrusting tool:
If the thrust model already references paleo models via the Thrusting tool, the paleo
models automatically open when you open a thrust model.
In the Main input table for the thrust model, the Depo. Start column now shows the
age at which thrusting started.
If the thicknesses of the layers in the thrust model and paleo model vary greatly, the
reference layer in the Thrusting tool turns yellow to indicate a warning.

PetroBuilder 2D and PetroBuilder 3D

Improved visualization of erosion in Simulation Preview
For models with erosion, Simulation Preview now shows the facies maps assigned to each of
the eroded sublayers (in PetroMod 2013, Simulation Preview applied the facies map of the
uppermost sublayer to each of the eroded sublayers).

PetroBuilder 2D
Export maps
The Export dialog (File > Export) for exporting maps contains these new features:

The dialog has an additional field showing the folder in which the map is located. For
TecLink models, the dialog also shows the section and the block to which the map
belongs. This makes it easier to select maps for exporting.

The dialog contains a new drop down box called Coordinate system. This enables
you to export map values at grid points (Gridpoint Z), at global XY coordinates (XYZ)
or at the distance from the first grid point (Distance Z).

13

Release Notes

Edit layer thickness

Double-click the Layers folder or any layer on the Model pane to open the Layer thickness
dialog. Use the dialog to edit the thickness of layers.

Focus on selection
This is a new button on the Map View function bar and in the Modify Cross-Section
process. Click the button to fit the cross section to the display area.

Culture data
The culture data folder now offers the following functionality:

Drag culture data within the Culture Data subfolders.

Right-click on the Culture Data folder or the Cross Section Lines subfolder and select
Create cross section line from model to create a culture data line that runs along
the cross section. The line is placed in the Cross Section Lines folder.

Edit multiple horizons

In Model View, the Edit Selected Horizon button now allows you to simultaneously edit
more than one horizon.
1. Select the horizons either on the Model pane or in Model View.
2. Click Edit Selected Horizon
.
3. Edit the horizons as required and click OK to accept.

PetroMod 2014.1

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PetroBuilder 3D
Show extrapolation preview
Use the Show extrapolation preview button
on the Map View function bar to check
your trend assignment maps before you run the Create Maps from Trends process. This
saves you time, because it enables you to make any required adjustments to the trends or
trend assignment maps before you run the process.

Edit layer thickness, Edit paleo thickness, Edit paleo depth and Edit
erosion
The Edit Layer Thickness, Edit paleo thickness, Edit paleo depth and Edit erosion
dialogs now have an options button for changing the color scheme and the appearance of
isolines.

Kinetics Editor
Biogenic reactions
The Middelburg generation method has been added for biogenic reactions. This gives you the
choice of three generation methods for user defined biogenic reactions: Gaussian distribution,
Constant rate or Middelburg.

Adsorption adjustment factor

The default adsorption adjustment factor is now 100% for all kinetics. This means that, by
default, the adsorption capacity of inert kerogen is the same as the adsorption capacity of
active kerogen.
When you convert a project from PetroMod 2013 to PetroMod 2014, the kinetics supplied with
the PetroMod software are given the default adsorption adjustment factor of 100. Userdefined kinetics retain the adsorption adjustment factors they had in PetroMod 2013.

15

Release Notes

Test tab
The Test tab contains new options for viewing the effects of secondary cracking inside and
outside the source rock.

Lithology Editor
Rock stress
The Geomechanics tab has been renamed. It is now called Rock stress. The tab has been
redesigned and contains these new features and changes:
Material model: The material model describes the relation between stress and strain.
The new material model Anisotropic poro-elasticity describes a purely transversal
isotropic behavior and requires additional parameters. You can specify these
parameters in the Anisotropy section of the Rock stress tab.
Poissons ratio model: The new Poissons ratio model Linear from porosity configures
the Poissons ratio to be a linear function of porosity.
Grain modulus of elasticity: This new parameter describes the modulus of elasticity of
the rock grain matrix. It acts as an upper limit for the Bulk modulus of elasticity.
Failure criterion: The failure criterion is a straight line in the effective mean
stress/deviator stress diagram. It can be specified by the new parameters Friction
angle and Cohesion.

Relative permeabilities
There is a new tab called Relative permeabilities. Use this tab to change the relative
permeabilities of user-defined lithologies and to enter the saturation endpoints.
The default values for the saturation endpoints have changed in PetroMod 2014:
Connate water = 5%
Critical saturation gas = 0% (unchanged)
Critical saturation oil = 0.1%

PetroMod 2014.1

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Diffusion of methane in water

In PetroMod 2013 you could enter the diffusion coefficient in the Miscellaneous > Pore
Water tab. In PetroMod 2014.1, you influence the diffusion coefficient by entering the
constrictivity and tortuosity of the lithology.

Water solubility fraction factor

The default value of the water solubility fraction factor in the Miscellaneous > Pore Water
tab has changed. The new default value is 1 for all the lithologies supplied with PetroMod.

Sort lithologies by name

You can now sort the lithologies in a user defined lithology group (you cannot sort the
lithologies in the supplied lithology groups).
1. Select the lithology group.
2. Right-click and select Sort lithologies by name and select either Ascending or
Descending.

Component Editor
Isotope fraction
The Component Editor contains two new columns called C13-isotope fraction and D-isotope
fraction.
C13 and D isotope fractions can be tracked in PetroMod 2014.1. This feature enables you to
calibrate the isotopic composition in accumulations. For example, methane components that
include a C13 isotope fraction will carry those isotopic signatures into accumulations where
they could mix and form a mixed C13.
To include isotope tracking in the simulation, you must enter the isotope fractions in the
Component Editor.
1. Open the Component Editor.
2. Create a new component.
3. Enter values in the C13-isotope fraction and D-isotope fraction columns.

Diffusion coefficients
The Component Editor contains two new columns for entering the diffusion coefficient for
methane components:
Diffusion coefficient D0
Diffusion coefficient EA
By default, D0 is set to 165km/my and EA is set to 30kJ/mol.
If the columns are empty, the default values are used.

17

Release Notes

To use your own values:

1. Open the Component Editor.
2. Create a new component.
3. Enter values in the Diffusion coefficient D0 and Diffusion coefficient EA columns.
You must include the word methane in the component name. Otherwise, it will not be
recognized by the Simulator as a methane component.
To include diffusion in the simulation run, you must select the Diffusion checkbox in the
Simulator interface (see the Simulator features in these release notes and the PetroMod
2D/3D Simulator User Guide).

PVT properties of the lumped SARA NSO component

The PVT properties of the lumped SARA NSO component have been adjusted to provide more
realistic API values.

PVT Editor
Methane solubility in water
Data for methane solubility in water under varying pressure and temperature conditions
according to Duan and Mao, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 2006, has been added to the
PVT Editor.

Well Editor
Import project wells
Use the File > Import project wells function to import wells and well data from other
PetroMod 2014 projects.

The Write csv function has been removed

The File > Write csv function has been removed from the Well Editor interface.

PetroMod 2014.1

18

Simulator
Isotope Tracking
C13 and D isotope fractions can be tracked in PetroMod 2014.1. This feature enables you to
calibrate the isotopic composition in accumulations. For example, methane components that
include a C13 isotope fraction will carry those isotopic signatures into accumulations where
they could mix and form a mixed C13.
To include isotope tracking in the simulation, you must enter the isotope fractions in the
Component Editor.
1. Open the Component Editor.
2. Create a new component.
3. Enter values in the C13-isotope fraction and D-isotope fraction columns.

Dissolution and diffusion of methane in water

The Processes and Tools folder on the Simulator interface contains a new tool called Water
Phase. Use this tool to include the dissolution and diffusion of methane in water in the
simulation run.

Dissolution
Select the Methane check box to include the dissolution of methane in the simulation run.
The water solubility fraction factor is the amount of pore water that is available to dissolve
methane. A value of 1 means that all the water is available for methane dissolution. A value of
zero means that none of the water is available.

19

Release Notes

Apply this value globally to all lithologies in your model.

tab of the Lithology Editor.

Apply the values from the Miscellaneous > Pore Water

Diffusion
Select the Diffusion check box to include the diffusion of methane in the simulation run.
The default diffusion coefficient parameters D0 and Ea are set to 165km/my and 30kJ/mol
respectively (you can enter your own parameters in the Component Editor). The effective
diffusion coefficient in porous media also depends on:
Porosity ,
Constrictivity
Tortuosity
The ratio

describes a diffusion coefficient adjustment factor. There are two options for

setting this factor:

The factor you enter here is applied globally to all the
lithologies in your model.
Select this checkbox to use the lithology-dependent
values for and instead of the global factor. The Simulator uses the values you entered in
the Miscellaneous > Pore Water tab of the Lithology Editor.

Output compression for 3D models

The Output folder on the Simulation Options pane contains a new checkbox called
Compress overlay files. By default, the output overlay files are compressed to reduce the
size of the output data. Clear this checkbox if you do not want to compress the overlay files.

Note: Compression is only available for 3D models.

Note: If output on original grid is selected in the Sampling dialog, no
compression is applied to the output overlay files. A warning appears in the
Simulator report.

PetroMod 2014.1

20

Compressing the overlay files has these effects:

The size of the output data is typically reduced by a factor of 5 to 20, depending on
the model.
The number of output files is significantly reduced.
Minimal loss in accuracy (relative error is approximately 10-4).
- In some rare cases, depending on the model, the compression algorithm can
result in a trace amount of oil and gas in cells that would otherwise be empty.
- When you zoom into the plots in the Analysis tab in PetroRisk, you might
see a clustering of risk points and gaps between the clusters. This occurs only
at very high magnifications where the variation in values is negligible.
-

When you Set Polygon(s) for PetroReport in Viewer 3D and view the
results in test mode in the PetroReport tab, the minimal loss in accuracy
due to compression can cause some of the values to appear as nan.

Viewer 3D, Viewer 2D and Viewer 1D

Create combined overlays
The number of mass and volume overlays generated by the Simulator has been reduced to a
set of base overlays to reduce the amount of output data. From these base overlays, you can
create other mass and volume overlays on demand using the new Create combined
overlays function in the Overlays drop-down list.

Viewer 2D
Arbitrary 2D extraction for IP models
You can now view arbitrary 2D line extractions from 3D models that have been simulated with
the Invasion Percolation migration method.

21

Release Notes

Viewer 3D
Viewing blocks in TecLink models
You can now view/hide individual blocks in TecLink models.
a. Right-click the model on the Organizer and select Options.
b. Open the Block tab and select the block you want to view/hide.

Load pre-grid faults on demand

Because they can take several minutes to load, pre-grid faults are not loaded when you drag
the folder or entire model to the Organizer. The Pre-Grid Faults folder appears on the
Organizer, but the pre-grid faults are not loaded. To load the faults, click the folder on the
Organizer.

Isoline labels in Map View

The Isolines tab in the Options dialog for horizons and imported maps contains a new
checkbox for showing/hiding labels along the isolines.

Arbitrary 2D extraction for IP models

You can now perform an arbitrary 2D extraction for models that have been simulated using
the Invasion Percolation migration method.

Clip plane freezing

The clip planes dialog contains a new button called Freeze. Use this button to save the
clipping plane as an object on the Organizer. The clipping plane remains visible in 3D View
and is listed on the Organizer in the Frozen Planes folder.

Show facies in all loaded layers

This is a new checkbox in the facies options dialog. It enables you to view the selected facies
in all the layers loaded on the Organizer.

PetroMod 2014.1

22

23

Release Notes

Bug Fixes and Enhancements

The section contains a selected list of the fixes and enhancements in PetroMod 2014.1 that
we think will be of most interest to users.
Module

Issue ID

Description

2615153

When calibration data is plotted, for example on a depth plot,

the calibration data is now shown on the legend.

10057633

The Create Heatflow Maps from McKenzie Crustal Model process

now correctly handles multiple rift phases: The temperature
distribution at the end of the post-rift phase is taken as input for
the next stretching phase.

2663446

When you assign an erosion map to a layer with sublayers,

PetroBuilder 2D and PetroBuilder 3D now use the deposited
thickness to calculate the thicknesses of the sublayers. This
makes erosion handling in the PetroBuilders consistent with
erosion handling in the Simulator.

2562161

You can now import gridded data as maps using the Import
Wizard.

2650671

The performance of PetroBuilder 3D has been improved to

speed up the display of models that contain facies refinement.

10005944

When you switch between Simulation Preview and Model View,

the legend now updates as expected.

10058366

In the Options menu, Biodegradation Options is now greyed out

when the project contains no biodegradation relevant
components.

PetroMod 1D

PetroBuilder 2D
and
PetroBuilder 3D

PetroBuilder 2D

PetroBuilder 3D

PetroCharge
Express

PetroMod 2014.1

24

Module

Issue ID

Description

10009238

The Import Well Data dialog shows any conflicts between your
existing well data and the data you are importing. To make it
easier to identify the conflicts, the well folders in the dialog are
now expanded by default.

2640687

When an open fault ends at the top of an accumulation, the

hydrocarbons now breakthrough as expected.

10049010

The secondary cracking masses are now correctly tracked for

models with erosion and the mass balance is correctly shown in
PetroReport.

10028130

The Break Through Path overlay now shows the reinjection

cells.

10021884

When you export the depth overlay (File > Export Data), areas
of the layer with zero thickness are now also exported.

2650671

The performance of Viewer 3D has been improved to speed up

the display of models that contain facies refinement.

10028985

Expanding a model folder on the Project pane is now faster.

10051325

Local Grid Refinement models (parent and child models) now

show the correct mass balances in PetroReport.

10054557

The Save Risk File As function in the File menu has been
renamed to Export Risk File. Use this function to export the
risk parameters to another model.

Well Editor

Simulator

Viewer 2D

Viewer 3D

PetroReport

PetroRisk

25

Release Notes

Known Issues
All Modules
Issue ID 2541011: GUI does not update correctly under Windows Vista and
Windows 7
When running PetroMod on Windows Vista or Windows 7 with a non-Aero theme, the GUI
often fails to update correctly.
Workaround:
Change the theme to Aero:
1. Right-click on the Desktop and select Personalize. The Personalization dialog will open.
2. Select Window Color and Appearance. The Appearance Settings dialog will open.
3. Select Windows Aero and click OK.

Project Anonymizer
Issue ID 10028740: Projects with data at x,y coordinates of 0,0 are not
anonymized
If any of the data in your project has an x,y coordinate of 0,0 (for example, a well, or the
origin of a model) none of the coordinates in any of the models in that project will be
anonymized.

PetroMod 1D
Issue ID N/A: 1D Extractions from PetroBuilder models with multiple erosions
Due to differences in the Age Table concept, PetroMod 1D cannot properly handle
extractions from PetroBuilder 2D and PetroBuilder 3D models with multiple erosions.
Issue ID 10057418: Combined overlays can cause PetroMod 1D to crash after a
simulation run
The following workflow causes PetroMod 1D to crash:
1. Simulate the model.
2. Create a combined overlay on one or more of the plots.
3. Simulate the model again.
4. After the simulation, move the mouse cursor. PetroMod 1D crashes.

PetroMod 2014.1

26

Workaround:
Before you simulate the model in step 3, make sure the current overlay on each plot is one
of the default PetroMod overlays. Simply closing the plot before re-simulation is not
sufficient.
Issue ID 10059199: Simulation aborts when thrusted layer is a source rock
If your model contains a thrusted source rock layer, the simulation aborts with the
message:
ERROR: Components are not consistent with the risk settings!
Workaround:
Manually assign the kinetic in the Main input table of the thrust model.
1. Deactivate thrusting (clear the Use thrusting table check box in the Thrusting tool).
2. Add the kinetic to the Main input table of the thrust model.
3. Reactivate thrusting.
4. Simulate the model.

PetroBuilder 2D
Issue ID N/A: Save as function does not save simulator settings
When you save a model using the Save as function, the simulator settings are not
saved. Make sure you check the simulator settings in these models after saving them.
Issue ID 2539364: Holes in gridded faults
When a fault consists of two or more segments, the gridding algorithm might grid them as
separate faults. As a result, there could be gaps in gridded faults.
Workaround:
Ensure that faults consist of only one segment before gridding.
Issue ID 2523052: No session control
There is no session control in PetroBuilder 2D, i.e. it is not possible to save sessions and
load sessions.
Issue ID 10053555: PetroBuilder 2D crashes if you open a non-model folder
When you open a model with File > open or the Open icon and select a folder that is not
a PetroMod model, PetroBuilder 2D crashes.

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Release Notes

PetroBuilder 3D
Issue ID 2492780: Imported facies maps must have same origin as model
This issue occurs when the origin of an imported IRAP Ascii facies map is different from the
origin of your model. When the map is converted, PetroBuilder re-grids the map from draft
resolution to model resolution. The re-gridding process grids the facies map to the origin of
the model, resulting in the loss of the defined area of the imported map.
Issue ID 2539018: Default Layout function
After re-arranging several windows, the Default Layout function does not always restore
the layout as expected.
Issue ID 2542275: Extraction and injection points are not set correctly in Map
View.
When the user tries to set an extraction point or injection point in Map View, the points are
either set in the wrong place or are not visible.
Workaround:
Set the points in 3D View.
Issue ID 2523052: No session control
There is no session control in PetroBuilder 3D, i.e. it is not possible to save sessions and
load sessions.
Issue ID N/A: Save as function does not save simulator settings
See the description of the same known issue in PetroBuilder 2D.
Issue ID 2640624: Display of negative thickness values
When you open the Edit Layer Thickness tool, negative thicknesses are displayed in red.
However, depending on the resolution, some small areas of negative thickness might not
be displayed in red. Also, single grid points with negative thickness might not be displayed
in red.
Issue ID 10007105: Re-gridding process does not re-grid the model correctly
The Regrid Model process allows you to regrid a model according to a sampling factor.
When you enter a sampling factor, PetroMod calculates the new grid resolution in the X
and Y directions.
This calculation does not work correctly. For example, your original model has a grid
resolution of 101 in both the X and Y directions. You want to regrid the model with a
sampling factor of 2. The new grid resolution should be 51. However, the Regrid Model
process calculates a new X and Y resolution of 50, which is incorrect (Figure 1).

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Figure 1

Incorrect grid resolution after entering a sampling factor of 2

Workaround:
Manually enter the correct grid resolution into the Grid resolution x and Grid resolution
y fields. In most cases, this means adding 1 to the calculated values.

Lithology Editor
Issue ID N/A: Mixing lithologies

When you mix lithologies to create a new lithology, permeabilities defined by

multipoint models are not mixed correctly. In particular, this affects mixes of
standard lithologies. After mixing, lithology permeability settings should be
checked and manually adjusted as required.
Formulae cannot be used when mixing lithologies.
Problems may arise when mixing two or more properties from different theoretical
schemes (e.g. Athys depth law for compaction and Schneiders effective stress
formulation for compaction).

Simulator
Issue ID 2620221: PetroReport shows incorrect values for TecLink models
Although this issue is visible in PetroReport, the cause of the issue is in the Simulator
which, in some cases and depending on the model, can generate incorrect mass balance
values.
Issue ID 2638589: 2D diagonal faults on parallel processors
Simulating 2D diagonal faults using the Hybrid or Darcy migration method on parallel
processors causes errors. When this occurs, the Simulator stops with an error message.
Workaround:
Simulate the model on a single processor.
Or
Use the special option Odfg 0 to switch off diagonal faults.
Issue ID 2626329: Incorrect accumulation column heights
When a closed or partially open fault (FCP fault) runs through a flowpath layer, the
accumulations on either side of the fault might have different column heights. This issue
can occur for models simulated using either the Hybrid or Darcy migration method.

29

Release Notes

Issue ID N/A: Convection does not work with locally refined volumetric faults
For convection through faults, use the Volumetric Elements option in the Simulator
interface (PetroFlow > Fault Method).
Issue ID N/A: 3D faults extending beyond AOI cause the simulator to crash on IP
runs
When simulating a 3D model with invasion percolation, the simulation crashes if the faults
extend beyond the models AOI.
Workaround:
Crop the faults in PetroBuilder 3D to ensure they do not extend beyond the AOI.
Issue ID 2619106: Open volumetric faults running underneath reservoirs do not
drain accumulations
This issue occurs when a model is simulated using the following Simulator settings:

Fault method: Volumetric faults

Migration method: Hybrid
Figure 2 shows an open volumetric fault running underneath a reservoir layer (yellow). The
reservoir contains an oil and a gas accumulation. The hydrocarbons should have drained
out of the reservoir through the open fault.

Accumulations

Figure 2 Hydrocarbons should have drained out of the reservoir

Issue ID N/A: Faults ending at the top of an accumulation cause a breakthrough

even when the seal is intact
When a fault runs through an accumulation and finishes by running along the horizon at
the top of the accumulation, the Simulator allows hydrocarbons to migrate through the
top of the fault and out of the reservoir, even if the overlying seal is intact (Figure 3).

PetroMod 2014.1

30

Figure 3 The expected accumulation (green dotted line) is empty.

Workaround:
Make sure that faults ending at the top horizon of an accumulation do not continue along
the horizon. Pay particular attention to the gridded model: Even if your pre-grid fault ends
exactly at the horizon, the gridding algorithm might extend the fault along the horizon to
the next grid point. In this case, edit the pre-grid fault as required and re-grid the model.
Issue ID 2646729: Invasion Percolation paths occur too far below the source rock
When you simulate a model with the Invasion Percolation migration method, the Invasion
Percolation migration paths might travel too far downwards below the source rock.
Workaround:
Re-simulate the model using the special option Odfg 0. This option disables the diagonal
faults.

Issue ID 10058516: Simulation run exits due to nan masses

If you simulate a model using a kinetic with Langmuir adsorption and a sorption value of
zero for each of the components (i.e. the sum of the sorption values is zero), the
Simulator exits with the message:
"Masses are nan before flash call. Please check kinetics and component properties!"

31

Release Notes

Workaround:
In the Kinetics Editor:
1. Select the kinetic on the Kinetics pane.
2. Open the Adsorption tab and set the Bulk adsorption model to Constant factor.
Alternative workaround:
In the Kinetics Editor:
1. Select the kinetic on the Kinetics pane.
2. In the General tab, set the Sorption of one of the components to a minimum value,
e.g. 00001.

Viewer 2D
Issue ID N/A: Gaps in 2D Models in Viewer 2D
Gaps can appear when viewing 2D models in Viewer 2D. This is a purely visual problem
due to current limitations in Viewer 2D. The simulated model itself is complete and does
not have any gaps. The gaps occur at locations where the cross-section turns through an
angle and the turning point does not lie on a grid point (Figure 4).
2D View

Figure 4

3D View

Gaps in Viewer 2D

The diagram on the right is from Viewer 2D looking down on the cross section of a 2D
model (in the 3D View tab). The red rectangles mark the locations where the cross-section
turns through an angle. The green line is a pre-grid horizon and represents the crosssection as entered by the user in PetroBuilder 2D. The black line is the cross-section as
represented in Viewer 2D. You can see that the cross section in Viewer 2D does not turn at
the same location as the pre-grid horizon. This is because the turning point of the pre-grid
horizon does not lie on a grid point. Viewer 2D shifts the turning point to the adjacent grid
point which results in gaps at these locations. As mentioned above, this is a visualization
problem only, there are no gaps in the simulated model.
Workaround:

PetroMod 2014.1

32

Add grid points at each point where the cross-section turns through an angle. The easiest
way is to insert a grid point for each cross-section point:
1) Open PetroBuilder 2D and load your model.
2) In the Processes pane, expand the Grid folder and double-click on Modify Grid
Points.
3) Right-click anywhere in the Grid Points table and select Insert Points from
Cross Section. There will now be a grid point for each cross-section point.

4) Click Start to apply the new grid points

Viewer 3D
Issue ID 2515868: Selecting percolation accumulations
Move the cursor near a percolation accumulation in 3D View and click with the left mouse
button. The percolation is selected even though the cursor is not on the accumulation.
Issue ID N/A: Filter accumulations according to Flash calculations
The option for filtering accumulations according to the results of Flash calculations does not
work correctly.
Issue ID 10039251: Isobody cut plane is hollow
When you create a cut plane through an isobody, the isobody is hollow.

33

Release Notes

PetroCharge Express
Issue ID N/A: Application remains in waiting mode for a long time after opening a
file
When loading files from a network drive, PetroCharge Express often does not respond for
a long time.
Workaround:
Use Files > Open Project (Quick mode).

PetroRisk
Issue ID 10059559: Risk overlays are toggled off by default
The risk overlays in the Risk menu are toggled off by default. To generate these overlays
in the simulation run, you must toggle them on before you simulate the model.

PetroReport
Issue ID 10023700: Incorrect report balance for IP migration with polygons
When you simulate a model with the IP migration method and use polygons in
PetroReport, the balance calculations for the polygons are incorrect.
Issue ID 10050383: Incorrect report balance for IP migration with light
components
When you simulate a model with the IP migration method, the mass balance of light
components is (in some cases) incorrect.

PetroMod 2014.1

34

Video Producer
Issue ID 10059013: Cannot use user-defined color schemes
You cannot use user-defined color schemes in the Video Producer.

35

Release Notes

System Requirements
Hardware requirements
For workstations (e.g. Dell T7610)
Processor
Memory
Disk space
Graphics
Network card

2 x Intel E5-26xx v2 CPUs

32 GB RAM
5GB of free disk space
Nvidia Quadro K5000
1000 Mbit NIC

For laptops (e.g. Dell M4800)

Processor
Memory
Disk space
Graphics

Intel Core I7-4600M 2.9 GHz

16 GB RAM
5GB of free disk space
Nvidia Quadro K2100M

For Linux clusters

Processor
Memory
Disk space
Network card
Infiniband (optional)

2 x Intel E5-26xx v2 CPUs (8 core or more)

128 GB RAM
5GB of free disk space
1 or 10 GBit NIC
Mellanox Connect X3 Pro - FDR

Software requirements
Microsoft Windows 7
RedHat Enterprise Linux 5.6 / 6.3 or later
Microsoft.NET Framework
Microsoft Visual Studio 2012 runtime environment

64-bit
64 bit
2.0
2012 update 4

IMPORTANT for Windows users: Only the Nvidia driver versions 295.73 and later
provide built-in support for PetroMod. We strongly recommend installing these drivers
to ensure optimal visualization and avoid visualization problems.

PetroMod 2014.1

36

IMPORTANT for RHEL 5 Users: PetroMod 2014 is the last version to support Red Hat 5.
Future versions of PetroMod, starting with PetroMod 2015, will only support Red Hat 6.
Warning for RHEL 5 users: Due to known issues concerning the instability of OpenGL
graphics, PetroMod only supports local rendering on 3D graphic cards with stable
graphic drivers. Rendering via a network could cause stability issues. In particular, we
observed problems with the Mesa OpenGL package that is delivered with RHEL5 and
works as a fall-back when no other driver is installed.
Warning for Linux users: Do not change the GUI style of your window manager (for
example via qtconfig) while PetroMod is running. If you do, PetroMod could crash.
Note for RHEL 6 users: when you start a RHEL5 PetroMod executable on RHEL6, the
following message appears in the message log:
Unable to load library icui18n "Cannot load library
icui18n: (icui18n: cannot open shared object file: No
such file or directory)"

You can ignore the message.

Note for Microsoft Windows users: When running PetroMod on Windows 7 with a nonAero theme, the GUI often fails to update correctly. Change the theme to Aero to
resolve this issue (see also Issue ID 2541011 in the Known Issues section).
Note for Microsoft Windows 7 and RHEL 5.6 / 6.3 or later users: We recommend
installing the latest graphics drivers available from Nvidia or ATI to avoid OpenGL
graphic display errors. In most cases the driver version that comes with the operating
system is quite old. Moreover, generic drivers are used when the graphics hardware is
not recognized correctly during installation of the operating system. These drivers only
support basic functionality and do not offer the OpenGL features required by
PetroMod. Please be aware that most onboard graphics hardware does not support
OpenGL at all. A dedicated graphics card is required for PetroMod.
Recommended: If your notebook has an integrated graphic unit in the processor (GPU), as
is the case with the Intel Sandy Bridge processor, we recommend disabling the GPU in
the BIOS. This will help you avoid performance problems and visualization errors.

37

Release Notes

Licensing
Licenses are required to access PetroMod. Certain functionalities or modules are only available
with the respective licenses.
All new PetroMod 2014.1 licenses require a dongle. If you currently use PetroMod 2013 (or
earlier) and are purchasing additional PetroMod 2014.1 licenses, you will also need a dongle.
MAC based HOSTIDs for new PetroMod licenses are only available with special approval from
your Schlumberger account manager.
Contact your Schlumberger Account Manager to obtain the necessary licenses and dongle.
Maintenance contracts are usually yearly contracts, renewed at any time during the year. Prior
to PetroMod 2012, PetroMod licenses allowed you to step up to a new PetroMod version
based on the PetroMod license expiration date without having a valid maintenance contract.
Beginning with PetroMod 2012, upgrades are based on your maintenance contract expiration
date. This is how you read the new licensing format:
FEATURE petrobuilder3D slbsls <yyyy.mm> <dd-mmm-yyyy> <#>
Where
<yyyy.mm> is the maintenance expiration year and month
<dd-mmm-yyyy> is the license expiration day, month, year
<#> is the number of licenses
Maintenance renewal is required to run any PetroMod version released after your
maintenance expiration date. You will be automatically contacted by Schlumberger
Information Systems before your maintenance expires.

PetroMod 2014.1

38

Support
To submit a support request:
1. Visit the Schlumberger Software website at http://www.software.slb.com
2. Click Support on the menu bar.
3. Login or Register
The support page offers these services:

4. Submit your support request in one of these ways:

Create a ticket

Click My Tickets to create a ticket that will be sent to the

Customer Care Center.
In

the ticket, you must specify the

software product
version
platform.

Data Exchange
Use this service to attach files to a ticket or upload files via
Secure File Transfer.

Click Data Exchange

Enter the Ticket Incident Number and your email address

Select the HTML or Java Applet UI upload method

HTML has a default file size limit of 2GB

Java has no file size limit.

39

Release Notes

Telephone

Click Call us to find the telephone numbers of support

personnel in your region.

E-Mail

Send an email to customercarecenter@slb.com

Subject
Software product (e.g. PetroMod)
Email content
Product version
Module (e.g. PetroBuilder 3D)
Description of the issue
How you have tried to solve the issue
Screenshots
Your phone number and email address.

Additional Help Information

PetroMod provides the following help information:
The PDFs of the user guide, installation guide, and release notes are included in the
installer and can be downloaded on the PetroMod Documentation page of the
Schlumberger Support Portal.

Task and process specific information is available via these buttons

PetroMod.

in

The PetroMod Help Center provides online access to the user guides and links to the
Schlumberger Software website. Open the Help Center from the Help menu in any PetroMod
module.

PetroMod 2014.1

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