Patent Document ID: 20020029137
Application ID: 09923060
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method of modeling faulting and fracturing in a subsurface volume of the earth comprising: (a) selecting a mode of definition of a subsurface model, said mode of definition selected from (i) an aerial mode wherein the model comprises a plurality of nodes in a horizontal plane interconnected to each other and to a substrate, (ii) a cross sectional mode wherein the model comprises a plurality of nodes in a vertical plane interconnected to each other and a substrate defining the edges of the model, and, (iii) a 3-D mode wherein the model comprises a plurality of nodes interconnected to each other and to a substrate defining the edges of the model; (b) defining said subsurface model including specifying material rock properties within the subsurface volume; (c) specifying an initial deformation pattern; and (d) using a dynamic range relaxation algorithm to find a force equilibrium solution for said subsurface model and said initial deformation pattern giving a resulting deformed model including fracturing.