Subsoil Composition Determination via Parametric Surface Distortion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining subsoil composition in the hydrocarbon industry face biases due to pre-meshing, which fails to accurately account for sedimentary bodies and satisfies well constraints, leading to difficulties in identifying geophysical properties and reservoir capacity.
Innovation Solution
A method that allows for accurate meshing of subsoil models post-determination using NURBS curves or surfaces, enabling distortion to satisfy geological constraints, and employing Quadtree, Octree, or Delaunay meshing methods to create models that fit geological formations, thereby improving the accuracy of subsoil composition analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If meshing is performed before modeling, then the model structure is established, but the meshing induces bias and cannot accurately account for sedimentary bodies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by determining the mesh configuration and sedimentary bodies first, then using this information to guide the actual meshing process. The method determines sedimentary bodies from well logs and seismic data before generating the final mesh, ensuring the mesh aligns with geological features rather than forcing geological data into pre-defined mesh structures.
2Productivity
If pre-meshed model is used, then modeling can proceed, but it is difficult to accurately satisfy well constraints as log data must be transformed with blocking methods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional approach by not transforming log data to fit the mesh, but rather generating the mesh to fit the log data. Well constraints are incorporated during the mesh generation process itself, allowing direct use of high-resolution log data without blocking transformations. The mesh is constructed to align with well locations and geological features identified from logs, eliminating the need for data transformation.
3Ease of manufacture
If pre-meshed model is used, then modeling can proceed, but it is difficult to associate cells with facies or geophysical properties as cell dimension does not allow proper identification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating mesh cells with varying dimensions and resolutions tailored to local geological requirements. Areas with complex sedimentary bodies or near well locations receive finer mesh resolution to capture detailed geophysical properties, while homogeneous areas use coarser resolution. This adaptive meshing ensures each cell has appropriate resolution for accurate facies and property association based on local geological context.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for determination of real subsoil composition or structure characterized in that the method comprises: - reception of a model representing the real subsoil, said model comprising at least one parametric surface describing a geological formation in said model; - receiving a geological constraint to be satisfied by said geological formation; - determining if the constraint is satisfied by the said geological formation; - if the constraint is not satisfied by the said geological formation, distortion of the parametric surface so that the constraint is satisfied by the said geological formation.