1. n. [Reservoir Characterization]

A model of a reservoir in which the steady-state flow and the advective transport are described in two or three dimensions by a computer program. A flow model is an essential component of a reservoir simulator. Flow models are often derived from the petrophysical characteristics of a reservoir (especially porosities and permeabilities) and then the model is adjusted and refined until it correctly predicts the reservoir's past behavior and can match the historical pressure and production data.

See related terms: advective transport modeling,  flow simulation,  history matching,  reservoir simulation,  steady state