The Imperial College Surface Based Geological Modelling (IC-SURF) code uses stochastic algorithms to create a surface-based representation of complex 3D geology.
The surfaces are parametric NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines) created without reference to a pre-defined grid or mesh.
A mesh is created only when required for flow simulation or other calculations. Metadata are created with each surface to control surface-surface interactions and assign petrophysical properties to the volume domains defined by the surfaces. The code may be available on request (contact the lead developer, Dr Carl Jacquemyn or the Head of Group, Professor Matthew Jackson).
The model below is a surface-based representation of two stacked shallow-marine parasequences overlying a non-marine fluvial interval, created using IC-SURF. Dipping surfaces in the overlying parasequences represent clinoform surfaces. The varying colours represent different facies (rock) types. The model is entirely parametric; there is no underlying grid or mesh. This type of model is a typical input to the Imperial College Finite Element Reservoir Simulator (IC-FERST).
Selected publications
Regnier G, Salinas P, Jacquemyn C, et al., 2022, Numerical simulation of aquifer thermal energy storage using surface-based geologic modelling and dynamic mesh optimisation, HYDROGEOLOGY JOURNAL, Vol: 30, Pages: 1179-1198, ISSN: 1431-2174
Titus Z, Heaney C, Jacquemyn C, et al., 2021, Conditioning surface-based geological models to well data using artificial neural networks, Computational Geosciences: modeling, simulation and data analysis, Vol: 26, Pages: 779-802, ISSN: 1420-0597
Salinas P, Regnier G, Jacquemyn C, et al., 2021, Dynamic mesh optimisation for geothermal reservoir modelling, Geothermics, Vol: 94, Pages: 1-13, ISSN: 0375-6505
Jacquemyn C, Jackson MD, Hampson GJ, 2019, Surface-based geological reservoir modelling using grid-free NURBS curves and surfaces, Mathematical Geosciences, Vol: 51, Pages: 1-28, ISSN: 1874-8953
Jackson MD, Percival JR, Mostaghiml P, et al., 2015, Reservoir Modeling for Flow Simulation by Use of Surfaces, Adaptive Unstructured Meshes, and an Overlapping-Control-Volume Finite-Element Method, SPE RESERVOIR EVALUATION & ENGINEERING, Vol: 18, Pages: 115-132, ISSN: 1094-6470