Roxar ASA, a technology solutions provider to the upstream oil and gas industry, released Tempest 6.5, the latest version of its advanced reservoir simulation software suite.

Tempest 6.5 comes with extended parallel processing capabilities and speed improvements in both serial and parallel simulation runs, allowing users to conduct faster simulation runs in greater levels of detail.

Tempest 6.5’s licensing costs will allow operators to equip more engineers with full function simulation than they can with other simulators. Its greater value for money encourages more asset team members to engage in the simulation process.

Tempest 6.5’s improved visualisation capabilities for the user, including the ability to calculate streamlines for each phase from the simulator results and to develop 3D cross sections, enhanced line graphs and data displays, also ensures that reservoir simulation is accessible to many rather than to just a few, highly specialist reservoir engineers.

Tempest 6.5 is very much a solution of today – a modern, next generation simulator aligned to the challenges reservoir engineers face, said Roxar CEO, Gunnar Hviding.

The increased emphasis on value for money, the ease of use, and the speed and accessibility is exactly what today’s operator requires as they look to generate reliable production forecasts, increase productivity and keep costs under control.

And the fact that Tempest 6.5 rivals any other simulator on the market in terms of advanced features and has been used successfully in hundreds of installations worldwide, only goes to strengthen our claims of faster and more detailed models, lower costs and increased productivity.'

Key developments of Tempest 6.5 include'

• Advanced parallel processing capabilities which include speed improvements in both serial and parallel simulation runs. Tempest 6.5 supports full parallel simulation on the latest multi-core workstations and clusters, allowing the user to generate rapid results and maximise returns from hardware investments. Tempest 6.5’s new algebraic multigrid linear solver shows significant speed up for models with high permeability contrast channels such as the SPE 10 benchmark problem
• A modern and easy to use interface which will help engineers become more productive more quickly. Advanced pre and post processing capabilities include a property calculator, 3D cross sections and well-well cross sections, enhanced line graphs and data display, enhanced summary vectors display and well filters, improved property statistics and an event timeline on 2D graphs. Multiple 3D views can also be displayed at once
• A new simple network model based on group control to model flow from wells. Additional features for Tempest 6.5 include influence function tables for aquifers, end point scaling for imbibition, temperature variation of viscosity for all phases, and the O-method for accurately modelling flow in distorted grids.

Tempest 6.5 provides tools to assist operators display results from other 3rd party simulation engines, providing added value by leveraging the investment already made by organisations. Tempest 6.5 provides enhanced support for these existing simulation models, greatly reducing the effort required to switch between simulators.

Users will be able to upgrade seamlessly from previous versions of Tempest at no additional cost. Tempest 6.5 also interfaces with Roxar’s industry leading modelling solution, IRAP RMS and Roxar’s assisted history matching and forecasting-under-uncertainty software, EnABLE.

Tempest, which runs on Windows (32/64 bit) and Linux (32/64 bit), comes with state of the art modelling and simulation capabilities, including the ability to simulate a wide range of physical processes within one programme, such as black oil, compositional, dual porosity, steam, coal bed methane and polymer injection.

At the heart of Tempest is the MORE engine, which runs fully implicit studies and supports a wide range of advanced options.