Patent ID: 9645281
Date: 2017-05-09
CPC Classifications: G01V

Claim:
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: determining parameters for simulating a three dimensional (3D) geometry of a natural fracture network; determining locations of seed points for fractures to be simulated; assigning to each seed point a target strike length and target dip length; locating a triangulated fracture of a predetermined size to be simulated at each seed point; marking all edges of the triangulated fracture as open for growth; while the triangulated fracture has at least one edge marked open, simulating, by a processor, the 3D geometry of the natural fracture network by: selecting the at least one edge of the triangulated fracture that is marked open; repeating a step of adding a new triangulated fracture of the predetermined size to be simulated to the at least one edge marked open until at least one of a set of conditions is met, the set of conditions comprising a strike length of the triangulated fracture reaching the target strike length, a dip length of the triangulated fracture reaching the target dip length, and the new triangulated fracture touching a different triangulated fracture within the 3D geometry of the natural fracture network; and marking the at least one edge of the triangulated fracture as closed for growth in response to the at least one condition being met; and estimating reserves of a petroleum reservoir based on the simulation.