Patent Document ID: 8494827
Application ID: 12785186
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of predicting fractures in a subsurface region, the method comprising: defining the subsurface region; creating an earth model that represents the subsurface region, the earth model including a mesh having a plurality of nodes and elements to represent the geology of the subsurface region; pre-analyzing the model to identify fracture areas of the subsurface region having a potentially high risk of fracture, wherein the pre-analyzing comprises identifying fracture areas based on outputs from a plurality of fracture prediction tools; pre-defining mechanical properties of rock and choosing fracture initiation criteria; pre-defining a rate of fracture propagation based upon site-specific information regarding the subsurface region; building a numerical model that represents the earth model; assigning boundary conditions to the numerical model; creating zones within the numerical model that are usable in a continuum-discontinuum method; introducing a mesh control to reduce mesh alignment and associated fracture path bias; re-meshing portions of the mesh that have been identified as fracture areas; integrating a finite-discrete element solver and a nodal failure mechanism for the numerical model to discover natural fracture patterns and localized damage; performing a preliminary run of the numerical model to predict fracture occurrence; determining whether predicted fracture occurrence correlates with expected natural response; and outputting natural fracture characteristics and damage from the numerical model.