Fast geometric restoration of complex 3D structural models for seismic interpretation validation

摘要

Three-dimensional (3D) model restoration is a powerful model validation technique which typically requires knowledge of rock mechanical parameters for every layer in the model, as well as boundary conditions. These may be difficult to evaluate and to input into restoration software. In this paper, we present a method which geometrically restores complex 3D structural models without relying on mechanical parameters. In an adaptation of the mathematical GeoChron framework, we compute a restoration transformation for each horizon in the initial model from present day geometry and the uvt deposition coordinates, providing innovative consistency constraints and validation metrics. No user intervention is required at any time during the process and faults are automatically taken into account in the computation with no added steps to eliminate gaps and overlaps. Once the restoration transformations are associated to the input model, the 3D structure can be restored to any intermediate state quickly enough to enable browsing through its geological history. We compare our results to previous flattening techniques and show the potential of our method for interpretation validation.