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US 10,650,107 B2Granted
Three-dimensional subsurface formation evaluation using projection-based area operations
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsFrantz Maerten, Romain Plateaux, Jean-Pierre Joonnekindt, Stephen Grenfell, Mustapha Lejri
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method, apparatus, and program product utilize projection-based area operations to accelerate the determination of subsurface structure parameters for subsurface structures such as fractures, faults and horizons in a subsurface formation.
Claims17
A method of evaluating a subsurface formation, the method comprising, using at least one processing unit of a data processing system:
- defining a subsurface structure within a plurality of cells of a three-dimensional model of the subsurface formation using a plurality of geometric primitives;
- calculating a combined area of the plurality of geometric primitives within at least a subset of the plurality of cells by summing areas of individual geometric primitives within each of the subset of cells, including determining an area of a first geometric primitive among the plurality of geometric primitives within a first cell in the subset of cells by projecting the first geometric primitive onto three orthogonal XY, ZX and YZ planes respectively aligned with faces of the first cell to define respective first, second and third projections and calculating two-dimensional areas of each of the first, second and third projections, wherein the first cell is a regular cubic cell, and wherein determining the area of the first geometric primitive further includes clipping the first geometric primitive in response to determining that the first geometric primitive is partially disposed within the first cell;
- determining a subsurface structure parameter for the subsurface structure from the calculated combined area of the plurality of geometric primitives;
- and
- running a computer-implemented simulation for the subsurface formation or generating a visualization of at least a portion of the subsurface formation in a computer-implemented graphical tool using the determined subsurface structure parameter.
2 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- at least one processing unit;
- and
- program code configured upon execution by the at least one processing unit to evaluate a subsurface formation by:
- defining a subsurface structure within a plurality of cells of a three-dimensional model of the subsurface formation using a plurality of geometric primitives;
- calculating a combined area of the plurality of geometric primitives within at least a subset of the plurality of cells by summing areas of individual geometric primitives within each of the subset of cells, including determining an area of a first geometric primitive among the plurality of geometric primitives within a first cell in the subset of cells by projecting the first geometric primitive onto three orthogonal XY, ZX and YZ planes respectively aligned with faces of the first cell to define respective first, second and third projections and calculating two-dimensional areas of each of the first, second and third projections, wherein the first cell is a regular cubic cell, and wherein determining the area of the first geometric primitive further includes clipping the first geometric primitive in response to determining that the first geometric primitive is partially disposed within the first cell;
- determining a subsurface structure parameter for the subsurface structure from the calculated combined area of the plurality of geometric primitives;
- and
- running a computer-implemented simulation for the subsurface formation or generating a visualization of at least a portion of the subsurface formation in a computer-implemented graphical tool using the determined subsurface structure parameter.
5 more elements
A program product, comprising:
- a non-transitory computer readable medium;
- and
- program code stored on the computer readable medium and configured upon execution by at least one processing unit to evaluate fracture abundance in a subsurface formation by:
- defining a subsurface structure within a plurality of cells of a three-dimensional model of the subsurface formation using a plurality of geometric primitives;
- calculating a combined area of the plurality of geometric primitives within at least a subset of the plurality of cells by summing areas of individual geometric primitives within each of the subset of cells, including determining an area of a first geometric primitive among the plurality of geometric primitives within a first cell in the subset of cells by projecting the first geometric primitive onto three orthogonal XY, ZX and YZ planes respectively aligned with faces of the first cell to define respective first, second and third projections and calculating two-dimensional areas of each of the first, second and third projections, wherein the first cell is a regular cubic cell, and wherein determining the area of the first geometric primitive further includes clipping the first geometric primitive in response to determining that the first geometric primitive is partially disposed within the first cell;
- determining a subsurface structure parameter for the subsurface structure from the calculated combined area of the plurality of geometric primitives;
- and
- running a computer-implemented simulation for the subsurface formation or generating a visualization of at least a portion of the subsurface formation in a computer-implemented graphical tool using the determined subsurface structure parameter.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.