Patent Document ID: 20130231903
Application ID: 13458264
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for modeling a subsurface structure, the method comprising: receiving geological data representing a current configuration of faults and horizons; transforming the geological data to a depositional model comprising cells representing an estimated configuration of subsurface structure at a depositional time period when the subsurface structure was originally formed; dividing groups of cells in the depositional model into a plurality of sub-meshes by iso-surfaces, one set of iso-surfaces representing the horizons at the depositional time period; dividing the plurality of sub-meshes into one or more sub-mesh parts by the transformed geological data representing an estimated depositional configuration of the faults; representing the cells in each sub-mesh part by a single polyhedron, wherein if a fault does not intersect a sub-mesh, the cells of the sub-mesh are represented by a single polyhedron and if a fault does intersect a sub-mesh, the cells of the sub-mesh are represented by 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.