A Parametric Unfault-and-refault Method for Chronological Structural Modeling
Résumé
We present a structural modeling method that uses an object model of fault to produce consistent fault-related deformations.
Our numerical fault operator relies on geometric and kinematic parameters that are determined by numerical optimization to fitting interpretations points in the fault neighborhood.
We use our operator sequentially to model faults that have been affected by more recent faulting events.
The method can be used to explore uncertainties about the chronology of the different faulting events.
We illustrate our workflow to model the top of a faulted basement located offshore Morocco.
This basement reservoir analogue is imaged by 2D seismic lines and the relative ages of the two fault families are uncertain.
We applied our method to build three different scenarios.
In one of the scenarios, removing the displacement of the younger strike-slip fault enables us to correlate fault sticks that seem isolated in the present day geometry.
The modeled faults have larger lateral extensions, leading to a more compartmentalized reservoir.