Geologic Model Discontinuity Mapping via Design Space Transformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current geologic modeling techniques face challenges in efficiently addressing discontinuities in subsurface models, particularly in handling faults and horizons, which leads to difficulties in constructing accurate and continuous models for hydrocarbon exploration and production.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves parameterizing fault surfaces, solving energy optimization or conservation law equations to generate a displacement map, and mapping the geologic model from a physical space to a design space to create an unfaulted volume with updated mesh and material properties, thereby reducing nodal slips and volumetric distortion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If faults are removed to create a continuous design space, then material property assignment becomes easier, but the accuracy of representing actual subsurface discontinuities decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The method segments the faulted subsurface volume into multiple continuous sub-volumes separated by fault surfaces. Each sub-volume can be independently assigned material properties in design space, while the fault surfaces themselves are parameterized and mapped to represent discontinuities. This allows easy material property assignment within continuous regions while preserving discontinuity information at boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a mapping function as an intermediary between physical space (with faults) and design space (continuous). The mapping transforms coordinates from physical space to design space, allowing material properties to be assigned continuously in design space while the inverse mapping reconstructs the faulted geometry in physical space, preserving discontinuity accuracy.
2Manufacturing precision
If the mesh is updated to conform to fault surfaces, then the representation of discontinuities improves, but the computational complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The method adds a parametric dimension to represent fault surfaces, allowing the mesh to maintain simplicity in 3D space while capturing discontinuity information through additional parametric coordinates. The parameterized fault surfaces are represented with u-v parameters, enabling accurate discontinuity representation without significantly complicating the underlying mesh structure.
3Stability of the object's composition
If energy optimization equations are solved to minimize nodal slips, then the continuity of the model improves, but the computational time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameterization of fault surfaces to optimize the energy functional. By adjusting parametric coordinates and scaling factors, the method minimizes nodal slips and deformation energy without requiring extensive iterative solving. The parameter changes allow direct computation of optimized configurations rather than requiring time-consuming numerical optimization.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the physical space is mapped to design space to remove faults, then material property assignment becomes more flexible, but the deformation of the original geometry increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mapping is designed to preserve local geometric quality by minimizing deformation in regions away from faults. The energy optimization functional specifically penalizes local distortion, ensuring that material property assignment flexibility is achieved through mapping while the original geometry remains preserved in most regions. Different regions can have different mapping characteristics optimized for their specific needs.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system are described for generating a geologic model having material properties for a faulted subsurface region. The method and system involve parameterizing corresponding fault surfaces and solving an energy optimization equation and/or conservation law equation for the corresponding fault surfaces based on parameterized nodes on the fault surfaces to generate a displacement map. The displacement map is used to map a geologic model from the physical space to the design space, where it is populated with material properties. The resulting populated geologic model may be used for hydrocarbon operations associated with the subsurface region.