title: Application of MODFLOW for oil reservoir simulation during the Deepwater Horizon crisis.
abstract: When the Macondo well was shut in on July 15, 2010, the shut-in pressure recovered to a level that indicated the possibility of oil leakage out of the well casing into the surrounding formation. Such a leak could initiate a hydraulic fracture that might eventually breach the seafloor, resulting in renewed and uncontrolled oil flow into the Gulf of Mexico. To help evaluate whether or not to reopen the well, a MODFLOW model was constructed within 24 h after shut in to analyze the shut-in pressure. The model showed that the shut-in pressure can be explained by a reasonable scenario in which the well did not leak after shut in. The rapid response provided a scientific analysis for the decision to keep the well shut, thus ending the oil spill resulting from the Deepwater Horizon blow out.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Mail Stop 496, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. pahsieh@usgs.gov
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Hsieh
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004190:Disasters; D019652:Extraction and Processing Industry; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010578:Petroleum; D011312:Pressure
chemical_list: D010578:Petroleum