9.3.2.2 Strategy that can be Used to Update the Earth Model

Software G (fluid flow simulation software) imports EPC_5 and uses the data to calculate reserve estimations and fluid flow simulations. For this job, Software G mainly uses the 3D grid representation, which represents Peter’s stratigraphic organization interpretation, and produces static and dynamic properties attached to this 3D grid representation, which it saves in EPC_6.

However, the results are not convincing and the asset team would like to look at the model using Paul's structural interpretation instead of the current one.

Two strategies can be used to update the earth model, depending on the magnitude of the changes of Paul's interpretation:

• (A) If the changes are significant and we need to rebuild the grid from the structural model, we use the data contained in EPC_2 and re-execute steps 2 and 3 to generate a 3D grid based on Paul’s hypothesis. We have all the necessary information to do this work.
• (B) If the topology does not need to be modified, we can use the data in EPC_5.

The basic workflow is: Create a new earth model for Paul's data containing a structural and stratigraphic organization interpretation. Compare Paul's representations to Peter's. If there is not an important difference between Paul’s and Peter’s representations (the deformation does not modify the topology of the 3D grid), then create and associate a “clone” of this 3D grid representation with Paul’s stratigraphic organization interpretation.

In this case, using Software H (gridding software with editing functions) we replace the XYZ values of the nodes of the previous 3D grid-based representations of horizons to fit with the other representations of the horizons (Paul’s representation) and then, update the 3D grid by constraining it on this new position of the nodes while minimizing the deformation for all other nodes.