Automatic extraction and characterization of fault and fracture populations

A processor system, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory system comprising one or more computer-readable media containing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, are configured to cause the processor system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
• receiving a seismic-resolution data set comprising one or more fracture networks;
• mapping a sub-seismic data set to a portion of a seismic-resolution data set
• determining that a region of the seismic-resolution data set containing the portion thereof to which the sub-seismic data is mapped is treatable as a fractal;
• generating a training image for sub-seismic scale characteristics of the one or more fracture networks of the seismic-resolution data set using the portion of the seismic-resolution data set;
• and
• modeling the sub-seismic scale characteristics of the one or more fracture networks of the seismic-resolution data set outside of the portion, using the training image.

A computer-implemented method for modeling fracture networks, comprising:

• growing discontinuity planes from fault/fracture points contained in a seismic-resolution data set;
• classifying the discontinuity planes according to shape, size, orientation, or a combination thereof to generate plane classifications;
• classifying intersections between the discontinuity planes to generate intersection classifications;
• classifying fractures and faults in the seismic resolution data set to generate fault/fracture classifications;
• mapping a sub-seismic data set to a portion of the seismic-resolution data set, wherein the sub-seismic data set contains data indicative of sub-seismic fracture network characteristics of the portion of the seismic-resolution data set;
• defining a fractal region of the seismic-resolution data set containing the portion thereof to which the sub-seismic data set is mapped;
• generating, using a processor, a training image for sub-seismic scale characteristics of the one or more fracture networks of the seismic-resolution data set using the portion of the seismic-resolution data set and the plane classifications, the intersection classifications, and the fault/fracture classifications;
• and
• modeling, using the processor, the sub-seismic scale characteristics of the one or more fracture networks of the fractal region of the seismic-resolution data set outside of the portion, using the training image.