Reservoir simulation on low cost, high performance workstations

Abstract

Reservoir Simulation using two different computer systems is investigated: 1. Wizard Adapter-an Intel i860 implemented on a microchannel card. The adapter was installed in an IBM PS/2 Hodel 80 2. RISe System/6000-IBM's second generation RISe workstation series. A reservoir simulator with demonstrated high performance is used to test these machines. Both systems can perform rese~voir simulations at more than ten times the speed of an Intel 80486 and at a significant fraction of the speed of a supercomputer. With an efficient simulator and enough memory, both of these processors can solve compositional problems with 40,000 grid points and black oil problems with 200.000 grid points. With starting prices of less than $15,000 for a complete machine, these systems provide an attractive alternacive to mainframes and supercomputers.