# US 10,310,139 B2 · Anisotropic geometry-adaptive refinement for reservoir mesh creation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,310,139 B2 - Document ID: US10310139B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/313,933 - Filed: 2014-07-11 - Published: 2017-07-13 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2014-07-11 - Assignees: Landmark Graphics Corporation - Applicants: Landmark Graphics Corporation - Inventors: Michael L. Brewer; Steven B. Ward - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10310139B2 ## CPC - G01V 20/00: Geomodelling in general - G01V 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass - G06F 30/20: Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A system and method inserts fracture networks into an existing Earth Model that exists as a structured grid and physical property values. The fracture network is in the form of a surface mesh (manifold or non-manifold) in a three-dimensional (“3D”) space. The structured grid of the Earth Model is then anisotropically refined to resolve the fractures and to provide appropriate cell grading in the near-fracture region. The generated Earth Model may be utilized in a variety of applications, including for example, a reservoir simulation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method of refining an earth model of a reservoir formation for well planning and placement, the method comprising: selecting, by a computer system, cells in a mesh to be refined in a determined direction within a three-dimensional space representing the reservoir formation, the selecting by: determining a location of a fracture within the earth model; identifying cells in a near-fracture region, based on the location of the fracture; determining a target size of edges of the identified near-fracture cells; determining whether edges of the near-fracture cells in the determined direction are longer than the target size times a scalar variable; and identifying the near-fracture cells having edges in the determined direction which are determined to be longer than the target size times the scalar variable; refining the selected cells in the determined direction; resolving a fracture network within the earth model using the refined cells; utilizing the earth model in a reservoir simulation, based on the resolved fracture network; and drilling a wellbore within the reservoir formation based on the reservoir simulation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 1, wherein refining the selected cells comprises splitting an edge of the selected cells, the edge being in the determined direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 2, wherein the edge is split along a plane that is transverse to an axis of a fracture within the fracture network. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 1, wherein the selecting further comprises: scaling the edges of the identified near-fracture cells which are longer than the target size times the scalar variable; determining if the scaled edges intersect the fracture; and selecting the identified near-fracture cells having scaled edges that intersect the fracture. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 1, wherein the selecting further comprises: scaling the edges of the identified near-fracture cells which are longer than the target size times the scalar variable; for any opposing pair of the scaled edges, determining whether exactly one of the two scaled edges intersect the fracture; and selecting the identified near-fracture cells having exactly one scaled edge intersecting the fracture. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 1, wherein the selecting further comprises: determining whether the edges of the identified near-fracture cells which are longer than the target size times the scalar variable have two or more hanging nodes; and selecting the identified near-fracture cells having the two or more hanging nodes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 1, wherein the selecting further comprises: for any opposing pair of the edges of the identified near-fracture cells which are longer than the target size times the scalar variable, determining whether exactly one of the two edges has two or more hanging nodes; and selecting the identified near-fracture cells having the two or more hanging nodes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 1, wherein the selecting further comprises: scaling the edges of the identified near-fracture cells which are longer than the target size times the scalar variable; determining whether the identified near-fracture cells having scaled edges intersect a fracture while no unscaled near-fracture cells intersect a fracture; and selecting the identified near-fracture cells having scaled edges intersecting the fracture. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises: determining whether the near-fracture cells having an edge in the determined direction also have no more than one hanging node; and selecting the identified near-fracture cells having no more than one hanging node. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises: for any opposing pair of identified near-fracture cell edges, determining whether exactly one of the two opposing edges has two or more hanging nodes; and selecting the identified near-fracture cells having the two or more hanging nodes. ### Claim 11 A computer-implemented method of refining an earth model of a reservoir formation for well planning and placement, the method comprising: anisotropically, by a computer system, refining cells of a mesh in a determined direction within a three-dimensional space representing the reservoir formation by: determining a location of a fracture within the earth model; identifying cells in a near-fracture region, based on the location of the fracture; determining a target size of edges of the identified near-fracture cells; determining whether edges of the near-fracture cells in the determined direction are longer than the target size times a scalar variable; and identifying the near-fracture cells having edges in the determined direction which are determined to be longer than the target size times the scalar variable; resolving a fracture network within the earth model using the refined cells; utilizing the earth model in a reservoir simulation, based on the resolved fracture network; and drilling a wellbore within the reservoir formation based on the reservoir simulation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 11, wherein the anisotropically refining further comprises: splitting an edge of the cells, the edge being in the determined direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 12, wherein the edge is split along a plane that is perpendicular to an axis of a fracture within the fracture network. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 11, wherein the anisotropically refining further comprises: determining whether the identified near-fracture cells having an edge in the identified direction also have no more than one hanging node; and refining the identified near-fracture cells having no more than one hanging node. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 11, wherein the anisotropically refining further comprises: scaling the edges of the identified near-fracture cells which are longer than the target size times the scalar variable; determining if the scaled edges intersect the fracture; and refining the identified near-fracture cells having scaled edges that intersect the fracture. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 11, wherein the anisotropically refining further comprises: scaling the edges of the identified near-fracture cells which are longer than the target size times the scalar variable; for any opposing pair of the scaled edges, determining whether exactly one of the two scaled edges intersect the fracture; and refining the identified near-fracture cells having exactly one scaled edge intersecting the fracture. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 11, wherein the anisotropically refining further comprises: determining whether the edges of the identified near-fracture cells which are longer than the target size times the scalar variable have two or more hanging nodes; and refining the identified near-fracture cells having the two or more hanging nodes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 11, wherein the anisotropically refining further comprises: for any opposing pair of the edges of the identified near-fracture cells which are longer than the target size times the scalar variable, determining whether exactly one of the two edges has two or more hanging nodes; and refining the identified near-fracture cells having the two or more hanging nodes. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 12, wherein the anisotropically refining further comprises: scaling the edges of the identified near-fracture cells which are longer than a the target size times the scalar variable; determining whether the identified near-fracture cells having scaled edges intersect a fracture while no unscaled identified near-fracture cells intersect a fracture; and refining the identified near-fracture cells having scaled edges intersecting the fracture. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 11, wherein the anisotropically refining further comprises: for any opposing pair of identified near-fracture cell edges, determining whether exactly one of the two opposing edges has two or more hanging nodes; and refining the identified near-fracture cells having the two or more hanging nodes. ### Claim 21 A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a plurality of functions, including functions to: select cells in a mesh of an earth model to be refined in a determined direction within a three-dimensional space representing a reservoir formation by: determining a location of a fracture within the earth model; identifying cells in a near-fracture region, based on the location of the fracture; determining a target size of edges of the identified near-fracture cells; determining whether edges of the near-fracture cells in the determined direction are longer than the target size times a scalar variable; and identifying the near-fracture cells having edges in the determined direction which are determined to be longer than the target size times the scalar variable; refine the selected cells in the determined direction; resolve a fracture network within the earth model using the refined cells; and utilize the earth model in a reservoir simulation, based on the resolved fracture network, wherein a wellbore is drilled within the reservoir formation based on the reservoir simulation. ### Claim 22 A system comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a plurality of functions, including functions to: select cells in a mesh of an earth model to be refined in a determined direction within a three-dimensional space representing a reservoir formation by: determining a location of a fracture within the earth model; identifying cells in a near-fracture region, based on the location of the fracture; determining a target size of edges of the identified near-fracture cells; determining whether edges of the near-fracture cells in the determined direction are longer than the target size times a scalar variable; and identifying the near-fracture cells having edges in the determined direction which are determined to be longer than the target size times the scalar variable; refine the selected cells in the determined direction; resolve a fracture network within the earth model using the refined cells; and utilize the earth model in a reservoir simulation, based on the resolved fracture network, wherein a wellbore is drilled within the reservoir formation based on the reservoir simulation.