Validating novel boundary conditions for three-dimensional mechanics-based restoration: An extensional sandbox model example

Chauvin, Benjamin; Lovely, Peter; Stockmeyer, Joseph M.; Plesch, Andreas; Caumon, Guillaume; Shaw, John H.

doi:10.1306/0504171620817154

Cited by 19 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…Finite Element (FE) based restoration has been proposed as an alternative to the classical approach (e.g. Muron, 2005;Maerten and Maerten, 2006;Moretti et al, 2006;Guzofski et al, 2009;Durand-Riard et al, 2011;Durand-Riard et al, 2013;Chauvin et al, 2018). Using this approach the basic concept of back stripping the top surface to a restoration surface is maintained but a FE model is used where sediment blocks interact via contact surfaces representing the faults.…”

Section: Restoration Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards an integrated restoration/forward geomechanical modelling workflow for basin evolution prediction

Crook¹,

Obradors-Prats²,

Somer³

et al. 2018

Oil & Gas Science and Technology - Rev. IFP Energies nouvel

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Many sedimentary basins host important reserves of exploitable energy resources. Understanding of the present-day state of stresses, porosity, overpressure and geometric configuration is essential in order to minimize production costs and enhance safety in operations. The data that can be measured from the field is, however, limited and at a non-optimal resolution. Structural restoration (inverse modelling of past deformation) is often used to validate structural interpretations from seismic data. In addition, it provides the undeformed state of the basin, which is a pre-requisite to understanding fluid migration or to perform forward simulations. Here, we present a workflow that integrates geomechanical-based structural restoration and forward geomechanical modelling in a finite element framework. The geometry and the boundary kinematics derived from restoration are used to automatically create a forward geomechanical model. Iterative correction may then be performed by either modifying the assumptions of the restoration or modifying the restoration-derived boundary conditions in the forward model. The methodology is applied to two problems; firstly, a sand-box scale benchmark model consisting of sand sediments sliding on silicon leading to the formation of a graben structure; secondly, a field-scale thrust-related anticline from Niger Delta. Two strategies to provide further constraint on fault development in the restoration-derived forward simulation are also presented. It is shown that the workflow reproduces the first order structural features observed in the target geometry. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the iterative approach provides improved understanding of the evolution and additional information of current-day stress and material state for the Niger Delta Case.

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Section: Restoration Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards an integrated restoration/forward geomechanical modelling workflow for basin evolution prediction

Crook¹,

Obradors-Prats²,

Somer³

et al. 2018

Oil & Gas Science and Technology - Rev. IFP Energies nouvel

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“…This model was generated with the method proposed by Clausolles et al (2019). It consists of a salt diapir that mimics passive diapirism structures created by syn-deformation differential sediment loading.…”

Section: Stochastically Generated Salt Diapir Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The results for the five experiment simulations are given in Fig 10. Depending on the experiment, we choose to stop Figure 8. Setup of the simulation for the model generated with the method proposed by Clausolles et al (2019). The initial model is sampled on a regularly spaced particle swarm.…”

Section: Stochastically Generated Salt Diapir Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards the application of Stokes flow equations to structural restoration simulations

et al. 2020

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Abstract. Structural restoration is commonly used to assess the deformation of geological structures and to reconstruct past basin geometries. For this, geomechanical restoration considers faults as frictionless contact surfaces. To bring more physical behavior and better handle large deformations, we build on a reverse-time Stokes-based method, previously applied to restore salt structures with negative time step advection. We test the applicability of the method to structures including sediments of variable viscosity, faults and non-flat topography. We present a simulation code that uses a combination of arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian methods and particle-in-cell methods, and is coupled with adaptive mesh refinement. It is used to apply the reverse-time Stokes-based method on simple two-dimensional geological cross-sections and shows that reasonable restored geometries can be obtained.

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“…These conditions, usually imposed on the displacement, rely on the following assumptions: the uppermost horizon was flat and horizontal at deposition time, and it was not faulted. Other conditions can be introduced as complementary geological knowledge, such as direction and scale of deformation, or amount of lateral displacement (Chauvin et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although these methods offer significant advances in the structural restoration of geological models, they still present many limitations. First, the boundary conditions set to unfold and unfault the medium are unphysical (Lovely et al, 2012;Chauvin et al, 2018). Moreover, these conditions are convenient hypotheses which do not necessarily reflect the paleo-stress state, hence they can be questionned (Durand-Riard et al, 2010;Lovely et al, 2012;Durand-Riard et al, 2013a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards the application of Stokes flow equations to structural restoration simulations

Schuh-Senlis¹,

Thieulot²,

Cupillard³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Abstract. Structural restoration is commonly used to assess the deformation of geological structures and to reconstruct past basin geometries. To replace geometric criteria, linear elastic behavior and frictionless fault contact assumptions used in existing restoration approaches, we study the possibility of using a creeping flow behavior in geomechanical restoration. Indeed, salt rock in particular has been shown to behave as a Stokes viscous fluid over geological time scales, and faults appear in rocks reaching a plastic limit inside a shear zone. We have therefore developed a new approach for restoration based on considering geologic materials as highly viscous quasi-static fluids. The Stokes equations are solved for the velocity inside a model at each time step using only the material properties of the objects inside the model, their geometry and the current state of boundary conditions. The restoration is then achieved by advecting the material in the opposite direction of the forward velocity. Several benchmarks are presented to validate the results of the simulation code used to test the approach. This method is applied on simple two-dimensional geological cross-sections in confined conditions and shows that reasonable restored geometries can be obtained.

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Validating novel boundary conditions for three-dimensional mechanics-based restoration: An extensional sandbox model example

Cited by 19 publications

References 70 publications

Towards an integrated restoration/forward geomechanical modelling workflow for basin evolution prediction

Towards an integrated restoration/forward geomechanical modelling workflow for basin evolution prediction

Towards the application of Stokes flow equations to structural restoration simulations

Towards the application of Stokes flow equations to structural restoration simulations

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