How do I convert my production data to the correct performance format?

There are three ways of using externally generated production data as inputs in a PetroVR model: you can use the specific Data Import / Export tools, create a dynamic links to Excel or simply copy/paste the data to a PetroVR table.

To copy production data to a PetroVR performance table you must select the Table Performance Type with settings depending on the format of the available data. This data can come in one of two fundamentally different formats:

Instantaneous data: Data that relate to a specific point in time or a specific amount of cumulative production - for example, the oil rate on January 31, 2013.
Average data: Data which are averaged over a time period - for example, the average oil rate for January, 2013.

It is very important to understand what type of data you have available. If you use an input option requiring instantaneous data to import average data or vice-versa, your production profile will be incorrect (although the difference may be small).

If you are trying to get a perfect match between curves generated in MS Excel and curves generated by PetroVR using the same Excel data, please consider the following: if a cell in Excel contains the number 1.23406 but it is shown as 1.23 because of the selected number format, then copying that cell and pasting it into PetroVR will result in the number 1.23 and not in the original value 1.23406. When you copy anything in Excel (or other MS Office applications) the clipboard gets that information in about 20 different formats. Like many other programs, PetroVR uses the default format that takes only into account the formatted figures. A workaround for this limitation is to modify the format in Excel before copying the values. See further under Communication with MS Excel.

A. If you have instantaneous data

Instantaneous data output are usually available from reservoir simulation models and typically also from analytical models. We recommend you use instantaneous data if available, since it gives the maximum flexibility in terms of dynamic specification of well initial rates and reserves.

In this case you must set the Table performance type using Instant Rates data type. For example, if the instantaneous data in MS Excel are:

0	1	1	<first value>1
<rows with dimensionless cumulative production>	<rows with dimensionless production rate>	<rows with GOR (oil) or Oil Yield (gas)>	<rows with water cut>
1	<last value>	<last value>	<last value>

Set the Table performance type as Cum in the Independent column to account for column 1, make the table dimensionless, and select the options to Define Gas as a column inside the table (column 3) and to Define Water as a column inside the table (column 4); finally, you must right-click on the headers of the third and fourth columns and select Convert to GOR and Convert to WC respectively.

Dimensionless data for the first two columns can be created using the following normalization procedure:

Cumulative production: Divide oil (or gas for gas declines) cumulative production by ultimate recovery.
Production rate: Divide oil (or gas for gas declines) rates by the initial rate.

B. If you have average data

Average data output will usually be available from a variety of sources, such as historical production reports.

In this case you must set the Table performance type using Average Rates data type. For example, if the average data in MS Excel are:

<rows with elapsed time in days>	<rows with average oil production in bpd>	<rows with average gas production in M scfd>	<rows with average water production in bpd>
<final elapsed time (= well lifecycle)>	<average oil production at the end of the lifecycle>	<average gas production at the end of the lifecycle>	<average water production at the end of the lifecycle>

Set the table performance type as Time (days) in the independent column to account for column 1, make the table dimensional, and select the options to Define Gas as a column inside the table (column 3) and to Define Water as a column inside the table (column 4).