Toward semi-automatic upscaling of faults networks in 3D structural models.

Jonathan Maillot and Jeanne Pellerin and Arnaud Botella and Guillaume Caumon. ( 2013 )
in: Proc. 33rd Gocad Meeting, Nancy

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a semi automatic method to upscale the fault network of a 3D structural model. Both the geometry and the topology of the fault network are modified so that the minimal distance between two faults is above an input resolution and the minimal angle between two connected faults is above a given angle. These modifications aim at making easier the generation of a volumetric grid conformal to the fault network by removing thin sections and low angle contacts. In the input structural model, each fault is represented by a triangulated surface. We first compute clusters of close faults, then for each cluster, pairs of faults with similar orientations are iteratively merged. The third step is to modify the connections between almost or slightly intersecting faults using the same merging strategy before merging surfaces connecting at low angles along the contact line. The results presented on two fault networks are promising.

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BibTeX Reference

@inproceedings{MaillotGM2013,
 abstract = { In this paper, we propose a semi automatic method to upscale the fault network of a 3D structural model. Both the geometry and the topology of the fault network are modified so that the minimal distance between two faults is above an input resolution and the minimal angle between two connected faults is above a given angle. These modifications aim at making easier the generation of a volumetric grid conformal to the fault network by removing thin sections and low angle contacts. In the input structural model, each fault is represented by a triangulated surface. We first compute clusters of close faults, then for each cluster, pairs of faults with similar orientations are iteratively merged. The third step is to modify the connections between almost or slightly intersecting faults using the same merging strategy before merging surfaces connecting at low angles along the contact line. The results presented on two fault networks are promising. },
 author = { Maillot, Jonathan AND Pellerin, Jeanne AND Botella, Arnaud AND Caumon, Guillaume },
 booktitle = { Proc. 33rd Gocad Meeting, Nancy },
 title = { Toward semi-automatic upscaling of faults networks in 3D structural models. },
 year = { 2013 }
}