# US 12,761,385 B2 · Geologic modeling framework > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,761,385 B2 - Document ID: US12761385B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/714,791 - Filed: 2022-12-30 - Published: 2025-02-06 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-12-31 - Assignees: Schlumberger Technology Corporation - Applicants: Schlumberger Technology Corporation - Inventors: Thomas Laverne; Azeddine Benabbou; Thomas Viard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12761385B2 ## CPC - G01V 1/302: {in 3D data cubes} - G06T 17/205: {Re-meshing} - G01V 2210/642: Faults - G01V 2210/66: Subsurface modeling - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A method can include embedding a discontinuity as an object in a three-dimensional hexahedral grid that includes hexahedral cells and represents a geologic environment; cutting a number of the hexahedral cells by intersecting the object and the three-dimensional hexahedral grid to identify cut cells; constructing a topological three-dimensional hexahedral grid using a topology for the cut cells that includes spatially overlapping hexahedral cells and associated cut cell-face links; and generating results that characterize the geologic environment with the discontinuity using a system of equations that represent the geologic environment and the topological three-dimensional hexahedral grid. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: generating an embedding mesh for a discontinuity, wherein generating the embedding mesh includes: discretizing the discontinuity into a two-dimensional mesh, wherein at least a portion of the discontinuity overlaps on the two-dimensional mesh; generating duplicate mesh elements of the two-dimensional mesh at overlapping geographic locations of the discontinuity, the duplicate mesh elements having a first side having first properties and a second side having second properties; and connecting the duplicate mesh elements by identifying continuity of the first properties or the second properties between the duplicate mesh elements; embedding the discontinuity as an object in a three-dimensional hexahedral grid that comprises a plurality of hexahedral cells and represents a geologic environment by embedding the embedding mesh in the three-dimensional hexahedral grid, wherein the embedding mesh includes mesh elements that are smaller than a cross-sectional area of individual hexahedral cells of the plurality of hexahedral cells; cutting a number of the plurality of hexahedral cells at the duplicate mesh elements by intersecting the object and the three-dimensional hexahedral grid to identify a plurality of cut cells, wherein the plurality of cut cells increase a quantity of the plurality of hexahedral cells by the number; constructing a topological three-dimensional hexahedral grid using a topology for the plurality of cut cells that comprises spatially overlapping hexahedral cells of the plurality of hexahedral cells and associated cut cell-face links, wherein the associated cut cell-face links are linked using the duplicate mesh elements connected using the continuity of the first properties or the second properties, and wherein the plurality of cut cells occupy the same space as the spatially overlapping hexahedral cells and the associated cut cell face-links identify which faces are shared between the plurality of cut cells; and generating results that characterize the geologic environment with the discontinuity using a system of equations that represent the geologic environment and using the topological three-dimensional hexahedral grid. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein two cut cells of the plurality of cut cells are formed by cutting at least one of the plurality of hexahedral cells by the object, and wherein the constructing the topological three-dimensional hexahedral grid comprises associating one of the spatially overlapping hexahedral cells to one of the two cut cells and another one of the spatially overlapping hexahedral cells to another one of the two cut cells. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the constructing the topological three-dimensional hexahedral grid comprises constructing the associated cut cell-face links according to cut cell-face connections. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the discontinuity is a fault. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a surface mesh. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the surface mesh is different than the three-dimensional hexahedral grid, and wherein embedding the discontinuity includes aligning the surface mesh with the three-dimensional hexahedral grid. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the system of equations comprises implicit function equations and wherein the results comprise stratigraphy. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the system of equations comprises fluid dynamics equations and wherein the results comprise fluid flow velocities. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising refining the topological three-dimensional hexahedral grid utilizing octrees. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising repositioning the object in the three-dimensional hexahedral grid, wherein the repositioning does not re-grid the three-dimensional hexahedral grid. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising embedding at least one additional discontinuity as at least one additional object in the topological three-dimensional hexahedral grid. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, comprising identifying a region of the topological three-dimensional hexahedral grid that is between two of the discontinuities and refining the region. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the refining comprises utilizing octrees. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the region comprises an interface between two different rock layers of the geologic environment. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising generating the object via seismic data. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the generating the object comprises interpreting the seismic data to identify the object as a fault. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, comprising meshing the object using triangles. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the embedding mesh includes, where the discontinuity terminates, merging the duplicate mesh elements. ### Claim 19 A system comprising: one or more processors; a memory accessible to at least one of the one or more processors; and processor-executable instructions stored in the memory and executable to instruct the system to: generate an embedding mesh for a discontinuity, wherein generating the embedding mesh includes: discretizing the discontinuity into a two-dimensional mesh, wherein at least a portion of the discontinuity overlaps on the two-dimensional mesh; generating duplicate mesh elements of the two-dimensional mesh at overlapping geographic locations of the discontinuity, the duplicate mesh elements having a first side having first properties and a second side having second properties; and connecting the duplicate mesh elements by identifying continuity of the first properties or the second properties between the duplicate mesh elements; embed the discontinuity as an object in a three-dimensional hexahedral grid that comprises a plurality of hexahedral cells and represents a geologic environment by embedding the embedding mesh in the three-dimensional hexahedral grid, wherein the embedding mesh includes mesh elements that are smaller than a cross-sectional area of individual hexahedral cells of the plurality of hexahedral cells; cut a number of the plurality of hexahedral cells at the duplicate mesh elements by intersecting the object and the three-dimensional hexahedral grid to identify a plurality of cut cells, wherein the plurality of cut cells increase a quantity of the plurality of hexahedral cells by the number; construct a topological three-dimensional hexahedral grid using a topology for the plurality of cut cells that comprises spatially overlapping hexahedral cells of the plurality of hexahedral cells and associated cut cell-face links, wherein the associated cut cell-face links are linked using the duplicate mesh elements connected using the continuity of the first properties or the second properties, and wherein the plurality of cut cells occupy the same space as the spatially overlapping hexahedral cells and the associated cut cell face-links identify which faces are shared between the plurality of cut cells; and generate results that characterize the geologic environment with the discontinuity using a system of equations that represent the geologic environment and using the topological three-dimensional hexahedral grid. ### Claim 20 One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media comprising processor-executable instructions to instruct a computing system to: generate an embedding mesh for a discontinuity, wherein generating the embedding mesh includes: discretizing the discontinuity into a two-dimensional mesh, wherein at least a portion of the discontinuity overlaps on the two-dimensional mesh; generating duplicate mesh elements of the two-dimensional mesh at overlapping geographic locations of the discontinuity, the duplicate mesh elements having a first side having first properties and a second side having second properties; connecting the duplicate mesh elements by identifying continuity of the first properties or the second properties between the duplicate mesh elements; and where the discontinuity terminates, merging the duplicate mesh elements; embed the discontinuity as an object in a three-dimensional hexahedral grid that comprises a plurality of hexahedral cells and represents a geologic environment by embedding the embedding mesh in the three-dimensional hexahedral grid, wherein the embedding mesh includes mesh elements that are smaller than a cross-sectional area of individual hexahedral cells of the plurality of hexahedral cells; cut a number of the plurality of hexahedral cells at the duplicate mesh elements by intersecting the object and the three-dimensional hexahedral grid to identify a plurality of cut cells, wherein the plurality of cut cells increase a quantity of the plurality of hexahedral cells by the number; construct a topological three-dimensional hexahedral grid using a topology for the plurality of cut cells that comprises spatially overlapping hexahedral cells of the plurality of hexahedral cells and associated cut cell-face links, wherein the associated cut cell-face links are linked using the duplicate mesh elements connected using the continuity of the first properties or the second properties, and wherein the plurality of cut cells occupy the same space as the spatially overlapping hexahedral cells and the associated cut cell face-links identify which faces are shared between the plurality of cut cells; and generate results that characterize the geologic environment with the discontinuity using a system of equations that represent the geologic environment and using the topological three-dimensional hexahedral grid.