Analysis and characterization of fault networks

A computer-assisted method for modeling a geologic domain, comprising the steps of creating a surface plot for each fault in the domain, each surface plot being extended to bisect the domain and including active areas and extended areas;

• truncating selected ones of said surface plots by removing selected portions of the same from the model, leaving defined fault plots in the model;
• building a binary tree data structure based on topological relation between defined fault plots;
• identifying volumetric geologic structures defined at each leaf nodes of said binary tree;
• traversing said binary tree, and at each data node analyzing pairs of said geologic structures on separate branches to determine whether said structures are separated by a defined fault plot;
• and
• entering any said pair of structures not separated by a defined fault plot in a fused block list.

A method for modeling a geological domain in a computer system, wherein the computer system includes data processing and data storage modules, one or more user input devices and a display device, comprising the steps of receiving data relating to faults within the domain;

• creating a surface plot for each fault described in the data, each surface plot being extended to divide the domain in two portions, and each surface plot having assigned mathematical up and down directions;
• combining the surface plots into a fault network containing all faults described in the data, and displaying the fault network on the display apparatus;
• identifying intersections between said faults, and responsive to said intersections, subdividing faults participating in said intersections into separate truncatable areas, said truncatable areas being visually identifiable in said display;
• responsive to commands, truncating selected truncatable areas;
• recording the results of each truncation in a rules table, based on the topological relationship between the truncated fault portion and the fault intersecting with the same;
• building a fault relationships table from said rules table and said fault network, reflecting the topological relationships between each fault and all other faults in the domain;
• building a binary tree data structure based on topological relation between defined fault plots;
• identifying volumetric geologic structures defined at each leaf nodes of said binary tree;
• traversing said binary tree, and at each data node analyzing pairs of said geologic structures on separate branches to determine whether said structures are separated by a defined fault plot;
• and
• entering any said pair of structures not separated by a defined fault plot in a fused block list.

A data structure for representing a fault network within a geologic domain, comprising

• a binary tree, wherein
• each data node of the tree represents a fault within the domain, including properties associated therewith;
• branches of the tree are based upon topological relationships between adjacent nodes;
• leaf nodes of the tree represent volumetric entities bounded by faults within the domain;
• and
• a fused block table, listing pairs of said volumetric entities not separated by physical faults within the domain.