Fault Representation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016103246-A1
Application number	US-201514877164-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 7, 2015
Priority date	Oct 9, 2014
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method can include mapping a stairstepped grid to a surface where the stairstepped grid and the surface represent a discontinuity in a geologic environment; based at least in part on the mapping, adjusting properties associated with the stairstepped grid to compensate for spatial discrepancies between the stairstepped grid and the surface; and simulating flow in the geologic environment using the stairstepped grid and the adjusted properties.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
mapping a stairstepped grid to a surface wherein the stairstepped grid and the surface represent a discontinuity in a geologic environment; based at least in part on the mapping, adjusting properties associated with the stairstepped grid to compensate for spatial discrepancies between the stairstepped grid and the surface; and simulating flow in the geologic environment using the stairstepped grid and the adjusted properties.

2 . The method of claim 1 comprising adjusting connectivity of a portion of the stairstepped grid on one side of the discontinuity with respect to a portion of the stairstepped grid on another side of the discontinuity.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the discontinuity comprises a fault.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the mapping comprises projecting nodes of the stairstepped grid to the surface.

5 . The method of claim 1 comprising discretizing the surface.

6 . The method of claim 5 wherein the discretizing comprises triangulating the surface to define a triangulated surface.

7 . The method of claim 5 wherein the discretizing is based at least in part on the mapping.

8 . The method of claim 4 comprising discretizing the surface based at least in part on locations of the nodes of the stairstepped grid as projected onto the surface.

9 . The method of claim 1 comprising mapping the stairstepped grid to one side of the surface.

10 . The method of claim 1 comprising mapping the stairstepped grid to two opposing sides of the surface.

11 . The method of claim 10 comprising adjusting connectivity of cells of the stairstepped grid based at least in part on the mapping.

12 . The method of claim 1 comprising calculating transmissibilities based at least in part on one or more of the adjusted properties.

13 . A system comprising:
a processor; memory operatively coupled to the processor; and one or more modules that comprise processor-executable instructions stored in the memory to instruct the system, the instructions comprising instructions to
map a stairstepped grid to a surface wherein the stairstepped grid and the surface represent a discontinuity in a geologic environment;
based at least in part on mapping of the stairstepped grid to the surface, adjust properties associated with the stairstepped grid to compensate for spatial discrepancies between the stairstepped grid and the surface; and
simulate flow in the geologic environment using the stairstepped grid and the adjusted properties.

14 . The system of claim 13 wherein the discontinuity comprises a fault.

15 . The system of claim 14 wherein the fault extends across layers of a model wherein the layers differ as to rock composition.

16 . The system of claim 15 wherein the layers comprise a sand layer and a shale layer.

17 . One or more computer-readable storage media comprising computer-executable instructions to instruct a computer, the instructions comprising instructions to:
map a stairstepped grid to a surface wherein the stairstepped grid and the surface represent a discontinuity in a geologic environment; based at least in part on mapping of the stairstepped grid to the surface, adjust properties associated with the stairstepped grid to compensate for spatial discrepancies between the stairstepped grid and the surface; and simulate flow in the geologic environment using the stairstepped grid and the adjusted properties.

18 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17 wherein the spatial discrepancies comprise length mismatches between risers and/or treads of the stairstepped grid and lengths along the surface.

19 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17 wherein the surface comprises two opposing sides and wherein the instructions to map comprise instructions to map the stairstepped grid to each of the two opposing sides.

20 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17 wherein the discontinuity comprises a fault.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Freeman Stephen
• Grenfell Stephen
• Harris Simon

Classifications

• G06T17/05 Primary

  Geographic models · CPC title

• G06T17/20

  Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, {tesselation} · CPC title

• G01V2210/624

  Reservoir parameters · CPC title

• G06F30/23

  using finite element methods [FEM] or finite difference methods [FDM] · CPC title

• G01V2210/64

  Geostructures, e.g. in 3D data cubes · CPC title