Patent Document ID: 10114134
Application ID: 13458264
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for modeling a subsurface structure including faults and horizons, the method comprising: by one or more computer processors: receiving geological data representing a current configuration of the faults and horizons, wherein said data is produced in a three-dimensional field by a transmitter emitting compression waves that reflect at geological discontinuities throughout the subsurface structure and a receiver receiving the reflected compression waves that correspond to the compression waves output by the transmitter; transforming the geological data to a depositional model comprising cells representing an estimated configuration of the horizons at a depositional time period when the subsurface structure was originally formed and superimposing an estimated depositional configuration of the faults in the depositional model that are not iso-surfaces of the depositional model; dividing groups of cells in the depositional model into a plurality of sub-meshes by iso-surfaces of the depositional model, one set of iso-surfaces representing the horizons at the depositional time period; further dividing one or more of the plurality of sub-meshes in the depositional model into a plurality of sub-mesh parts by the superimposed estimated depositional configuration of the faults; representing the cells in each sub-mesh part by a single polyhedron with each facet corresponding to one of the faults or iso-surfaces of the depositional model having a single value for one or more coordinates of the depositional model; wherein for one or more of the faults that does not intersect a sub-mesh, the cells of the sub-mesh are represented by a single polyhedron with each facet corresponding to an iso-surface of the depositional model and for one or more of the faults that does intersect a sub-mesh, the cells of the sub-mesh are further divided into a plurality of polyhedrons each having at least a facet approximating the orientation of the fault surface; inverse transforming the polyhedrons from the depositional model to generate a current model to represent the current configuration of the faults and horizons using inverse transformed polyhedrons; and displaying the current model.