Systems and methods for modeling faults in the subsurface
AssigneesParadigm Sciences Ltd., Jean-Laurent Mallet
InventorsAnne-Laure Tertois, Jean-Laurent Mallet, Laurent Deny, Jean-Claude Dulac
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method, apparatus and system for modeling a fault surface in a subsurface region. A direction may be determined in which a first portion of the subsurface region being on one side of the fault surface has moved relative to a second portion of the subsurface region being on the other side of the fault surface. A model of the fault surface may be generated having substantially no protrusions in the determined direction. A visualization of the model of the generated fault surface may be displayed.
Claims21
A method for modeling a fault surface in a subsurface region using measured data, the method comprising:
- determining, by a processor, a direction of sliding in which a first portion of the subsurface region being on one side of the fault surface has moved relative to a second portion of the subsurface region being on the other side of the fault surface;
- for the fault surface estimated to have at least one protrusion in the direction of sliding, replacing a first gradient field of the fault surface that is not substantially orthogonal to the direction of sliding with a second gradient field of the fault surface that is substantially orthogonal to the direction of sliding;
- generating, by the processor, a model of the fault surface using the second gradient field of the fault surface that is substantially orthogonal to the direction of sliding, by which protrusions are permitted in a direction orthogonal to the direction of sliding, and not permitted in the direction of sliding;
- and
- displaying a visualization of the model of the generated fault surface in the subsurface region.
A system comprising:
- a memory to store a subsurface geological model;
- a processor configured to model a fault surface in a subsurface region using measured data by:
- determining a direction of sliding in which a first portion of the subsurface region being on one side of the fault surface has moved relative to a second portion of the subsurface region being on the other side of the fault surface;
- and
- for the fault surface estimated to have at least one protrusion in the direction of sliding, replacing a first gradient field of the fault surface that is not substantially orthogonal to the direction of sliding with a second gradient field of the fault surface that is substantially orthogonal to the direction of sliding;
- generating a model of the fault surface using the second gradient field of the fault surface that is substantially orthogonal to the direction of sliding, by which protrusions are permitted in a direction orthogonal to the direction of sliding, and not permitted in the direction of sliding;
- and
- a display to display a visualization of the model of the generated fault surface in the subsurface region.
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which when implemented in a processor of a computing system having a display cause the system to model a fault surface in a subsurface region using measured data by:
- determining a direction of sliding in which a first portion of the subsurface region being on one side of the fault surface has moved relative to a second portion of the subsurface region being on the other side of the fault surface;
- for the fault surface estimated to have at least one protrusion in the direction of sliding, replacing a first gradient field of the fault surface that is not substantially orthogonal to the direction of sliding with a second gradient field of the fault surface that is substantially orthogonal to the direction of sliding;
- generating a model of the fault surface using the second gradient field of the fault surface that is substantially orthogonal to the direction of sliding, by which protrusions are permitted in a direction orthogonal to the direction of sliding, and not permitted in the direction of sliding;
- and
- displaying a visualization of the model of the generated fault surface in the subsurface region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.