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Petrel: Structural Modeling

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Table of Contents
1 Pre-processing........................................................................................................................................................... 5
Edit connected fault sticks ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Crossing fault sticks .................................................................................................................................................. 6
Cut fault sticks .......................................................................................................................................................... 7
2 Fault Modeling .......................................................................................................................................................... 9
Petrel fault types ...................................................................................................................................................... 9
Input data ................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Define model.......................................................................................................................................................... 10
Fault modelling process ......................................................................................................................................... 10
Editing key pillars ................................................................................................................................................... 11
Cut against surfaces ........................................................................................................................................... 11
Moving key pillars .............................................................................................................................................. 12
Automatic connection........................................................................................................................................ 14
Connect faults manually .................................................................................................................................... 15
Add pillar to the end .......................................................................................................................................... 16
Disconnecting faults ........................................................................................................................................... 17
3 Pillar Gridding.......................................................................................................................................................... 18
Boundary ................................................................................................................................................................ 18
Existing polygon as boundary ............................................................................................................................ 19
Create boundary ................................................................................................................................................ 19
Make faults boundary segments ....................................................................................................................... 20
Create boundary segments ................................................................................................................................ 20
Remove boundary .............................................................................................................................................. 21
Trends and Directions ........................................................................................................................................ 21
Skeleton – Create grid ........................................................................................................................................ 23
Segments................................................................................................................................................................ 23
4 Make Horizons ........................................................................................................................................................ 25
Generating Fault-Horizon Intersections for the 3D Grid ................................................................................... 28
5 Depth Convert 3D Grid............................................................................................................................................ 32
6 Make Zones ............................................................................................................................................................. 34
Generate Isochores ............................................................................................................................................ 34
Make Zones process........................................................................................................................................... 36
7 Layering ................................................................................................................................................................... 39
Vertical Variogram Analysis - Correct layering .................................................................................................. 40
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Introduction to Corner Point Gridding

Aim to create a 3D reservoir model to understand and predict our reservoir by creating a celled model. Populate
cells with reservoir properties from up-scaled well control points.

Workflow
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1 Pre-processing
It is good practice to make a copy of your data before you perform any processing on it. This way you may revert
back to your original if you are unhappy with the results.

Edit connected fault sticks

Fault sticks may appear as one continuous line.

Can use an operation to split in to individual fault sticks or scissor tool:

Operation
1) Use Measure distance tool to
measure the length of the artificial line

2) Double click on the fault and go to

Operations tab.

3) Expand the Polygons operations folder

and select Split by horizontal length.

4) Input the maximum horizontal length

and select Run. Only one undo is
available.
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Scissor tool
1) Open the Make polygons process in the ribbons tab at the top .

Open the Settings tab and toggle on ‘Delete point or line segment when cutting’

2) Select the Disconnect polygon icon from the tool pallet. Click on the lines to be removed.

Crossing fault sticks

For Corner Point

Gridding, fault sticks need
to be in the same
direction. Need to
remove crossed sticks.
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1) Activate the Make/edit polygons process in the Processes pane.

2) Use the Select/pick mode tool while holding SHIFT to select the fault sticks you can to remove.

3) Use DELETE key or delete icon .

Cut fault sticks

Cut fault sticks out of your area of interest using Operations.

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1) Open Settings for each fault.

Navigate to Operations tab.

2) Expand Eliminate where folder

and select Z> or Z< Surface (x,y).

3) Insert Surface to cut sticks

against.

4) Select Run.
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2 Fault Modeling
Generate main faults by generating “key pillars”. Pillars form the base of generating a 3D grid

Petrel fault types

Fault types are based on the number of shape points.

Input data

Faults can be generated based on:

Fault sticks
Fault polygons
Faulted surfaces
Seismic interpretation
Seismic
Cross section
Well cuts
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Define model
Click on the structural modelling tab on the ribbon. The workflow order is the same as the processes seen along
the ribbon. If a process is greyed out, it means the pre-requisite for that process has not been carried out yet.
Double click on Define model. Name your model to store the faults and all 3D grids related to that fault model.
When you click OK or Apply it will be stored in your Models pane.

Fault modelling process

1) Make active your model in the Models pane.

2) Activate geometry to be used in function bar

3) Right click on Input data folder and select Convert to faults in fault model…

. every nth stick to build pillar on and maximum search distance to nearest neighbour pillar
4) Select

5) View results in model

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Editing key pillars

Cut against surfaces
Once faults have been modelled, Fault modeling process cuts faults against a top and/or base limit.

1) Open Fault modelling operation in the

ribbons tab

2) Select top and base limit. Drop in surfaces to

cut against.

3) Select parameters.

4) Select Cut/extend.
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Results:

Moving key pillars

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1. Display the fault in a 3D window.

2. Select the Manipulate pillars/shape
points tool in the Fault model Tool Palette.
3. Select (Shift for multiple) key pillars or shape points to manipulate.

To move the pillar vertically, select the cylinder and drag it vertically:

To move the pillar laterally, select the square plane and drag it in any direction:
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Automatic connection

Faults that are close but not touching each other need to be connected to build a lattice for the Pillar gridding
process.

1) Open Fault modelling operations along

the ribbons tab. Navigate to Operations
tab.

2) Set the Extend distance to tell Petrel

the distance it should search for another
fault.

3) Set the Remove distance to tell Petrel

the pillars that are closer than this
distance to the connection pillar after a
connection has been made will be
removed.

4) Select ‘Only use visible faults’ if you

want to apply it to specific faults in view

5) Select Auto connect.

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Connect faults manually

1) Choose faults to connect. Identify areas to connect. Make sure vertical extension of connecting pillars is similar
so as not to cause significant contortion of the subordinate fault.

2) Select two key pillars from each fault to join using the SHIFT key plus the left mouse button to select multiple
pillars:

3) Select the Connect two faults icon by right mouse button click on the fault pillar

4) Select how you want to connect the faults in the Connect pillars dialog box:
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Add pillar to the end

You may need to add a pillar to the end of your modelled fault to be able to connect it to another fault for
example. In this case, select the end pillar of your fault and select the Add end pillar to fault icon by right
mouse button click on the fault pillar

Add pillar in between pillars

To add a pillar between two existing pillars, select the two pillars you wish to insert a pillar in between and select
the Add pillar between icon when right mouse button click on the fault pillar
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Disconnecting faults
You may have a modelled fault which you believe should be treated as two separate faults for example. In this
case, select the two pillars which represent the end of each fault and select the Disconnect fault icon :

You will see a new fault created in your model.

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3 Pillar Gridding
Pillar gridding is the process of making a skeleton framework in order to create a celled model.
To create a 3D skeleton, first create a 2D mesh mid skeleton grid that connects the key pillars. This is defined by
row and columns. Then extrapolate mid skeleton upwards and downwards to create the top and base skeletons
in the third dimension. The 3D grid is defined by rows, columns and pillars positioned in the xyz.

First you need to create a boundary for your area.

Boundary
You can use a fault or boundary segment to form parts of your boundary. Or you can use an existing polygon or
create a new boundary around your area. It must be closed.
First open a 2D Window and display the faults in your model.
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Existing polygon as boundary

1) Make the Pillar gridding process active.

2) Display your polygon.

3) Right click on your polygon and select Convert to

grid boundary.

Create boundary

1) Open a 2D window, display uour faults & Make the Pillar gridding process active along the ribbons tab
2) Select the Create external grid boundary icon .

3) Draw your area of interest.

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4) Double click to close the boundary.

Make faults boundary segments

1) Activate the pillar gridding process by clicking on the Pillar gridding on the ribbons tab..
2) Select the Set part of grid boundary icon to make that fault part of the boundary. The fault will turn blue
to show is it part of the boundary.

Create boundary segments

1) Make the Pillar gridding process active along the

ribbons tab.

2) Select the Create external grid boundary segment

icon .

3) Pick in between pillars to join the boundary

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Remove boundary

Select part of your boundary and select the Set no boundary icon .

Trends and Directions

Once you have a closed boundary, you can assign trends/directions. This is in order to guide the grid cell shape
and orientation. Trends can be used as a segment divided when there are no faults.
Trends and directions are defined in the i and j directions.
This can be done before gridding. Or after to tune the grid.
You can give direction to faults and assign trends.

I- direction ……………….

J- direction ……………….

Arbitrary ………………….

Set no boundary ……..

I-trend …………………….

J-trend ……………………
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1) Select a fault or part of a fault using the Select/pick mode .

2) Select the I-direction or J-direction icon to give direction to that fault. Your I-direction is your major direction.

To add trend, select the I-trend or J-trend icon and draw on the trend interactively:
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Skeleton – Create grid

1) Open the Pillar gridding process from the ribbons tab.

2) Name your grid.
3) Set your grid increment. A smaller increment gives a higher number of cells.

4) Select Apply to create the Mid skeleton grid.

5) Quality check the Mid skeleton. Tune using trends and direction (previous section).
6) When satisfied with Mid skeleton, select OK to create a Top and Base skeleton.

Segments

Connected faults form boundaries of segments. In order to view individual segments either toggle on/off each
segment in the Segment filter:
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Or double click on the Skeleton item in your grid to open the Settings. Navigate to the Style tab and to the Solid
sub-tab. Select Show:As Segment. Select Apply:
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4 Make Horizons
The purpose of this process is to generate horizons in the 3D grid. This process is the first step in defining the
vertical layering of the 3D grid. The layering can later be refined using the Make Zones/Layering process.

1. Double-click on Make Horizons process

2. In the Horizons tab click the Multiple drop icon. This allows you to drop a range of data by
only selecting the topmost one in a folder. Select the top surface in the Input pane. Click on the
blue arrow below Input#1. The input objects will be added and the Horizon column will be
updated with the same name.

3. For each horizon, define its geological character, to do this click on the box in the Horizon type
column and set the surfaces accordingly.
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4. To tie the well tops to surfaces, select well top from Well Tops folder in Input
pane>Stratigraphy and drop in the well tops, then select Multiple drop and insert using blue
arrow.

5. Go to the Faults tab. All of the faults generated during Fault modelling are listed here.

As default distance from the fault is set to 100 project units.

The distance must not exceed the influence area for the data such as fault compartment
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6. Go to the Well Adjustment tab and choose to make adjustments using well top data Across
segments. Click OK.

7. Open 3D window and display your horizons and Edges from your Models pane.
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Generating Fault-Horizon Intersections for the 3D Grid

Sometimes the fault distance will not be enough to sort out all of the problems caused by false drag or pinch out
cells. To overcome this we can create fault-horizon lines.
1. Make a copy of the active 3D grid.

2. Open the settings for the surface (Models pane, Horizons folder), go to the Operations tab.

3. Select Resample from the 3D grid to the Fault Model and click Resample button. A new folder called
Horizon fault lines is now generated. This folder is stored in the Fault model in the Models pane.

4. Activate the fault modelling process.

5. Display the fault model and the horizon lines in a 3D window, display your horizon.

6. If it is not matching the input data, make adjustments to the horizon lines by first using the select horizon
nodes button from the function bar and then either use the Select/pick mode to manually select

the nodes to move or use Add/Move horizon nodes on the active horizon in combination with
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Add/move horizon nodes at back side of the fault or Add/move horizon nodes at front side of the
fault .

The different sides of the fault are distinguished by dotted lines (back) or solid lines (front).

Before

After

7. Open the settings for your horizon (Models pane) and go to Operations tab.

8. Select Resample from Fault Model to the 3D grid and click Resample.
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9. For the edits to take full effect, make horizons process must be re-run. In the horizons tab, make sure to
calculate horizons with Use horizon-fault lines selected.

10. In the Settings tab select the Lock all resampled horizon nodes check box.
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11. QC the result in the 3D window.

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5 Depth Convert 3D Grid

3D grids are depth converted by using the Domain conversion process under Corner Point Gridding tab along
the ribbon.

1. Ensure that the correct grid is active in your Models pane as it is grid to be depth converted.

2. Click on Domain conversion.

3. Select the appropriate Velocity model (in this example Velmod K(Z-Z0) Corrected) from drop down menu.

4. Alternatively change the pillar geometry types for faulted and non-faulted pillars. Click OK.
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5. A new 3D grid appears in the Models pane with the name of the input and velocity model extension. This
3D grid is in the depth domain as indicated by a blue icon in front of its name. 3D grids in time domain
have an orange icon.
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6 Make Zones
The make zones process is the next step in defining the vertical resolution of the 3D grid. Each zone is defined by
two horizons. Zones can be added to the model by introducing thickness data in the form of isochores, constant
thickness and percentages.

Generate Isochores

1. Go to the Input pane and expand the Well Tops folder and the Stratigraphy folder. Create isochore data
for the Zone Lower Zone Top (i.e. Lower Zone Top to Base Sherwood).

a. Highlight the top marker (i.e. Lower Zone Top)

b. Right-click on the base marker (i.e. Sherwood Base) and select Convert to isochore points

c. The isochore points are created in the bottom of the Input pane
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d. Create isochore data for the other zones (repeat 1 a-c)

2. Double-click on Make/Edit Surface process.

a. Drop the isochore points into Main input.

b. Select the Thickness attribute from the drop-down list in the Attribute field.

c. Click Suggest settings from input and select Isochore points/residuals.

d. Set the Automatic geometry in the Geometry tab. Click OK.

e. Create thickness surfaces for all isochore points. Generated surfaces are stored in the bottom of
the Input pane.
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Make Zones process

1. Click on Make zones process in the ribbon, Zones subtab and select stratigraphic interval: in this example -
Top Sherwood_CJB-Base Sherwood.

a. Click on Append number of items in the table icon and select 4 (or the amount you have)
zones in Multi zone settings window. Click OK.
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b. We use generated isochore surfaces as input in Make Zones process.

c. In the Input pane, select the thickness surface and insert in the appropriate zone by clicking on the
blue arrow next to the Input field. Insert well tops between the isochores by going to Well
Tops>Stratigraphy. Select the well tops that correspond with the stratigraphic interval you are
working on.

d. Select Build from: Base horizon and distribute the volume correction as Proportional correction
and build along Vertical Thickness (TVT). Click OK.
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e. Open new 3D window and visualise your Horizons and edges. You should see four zones you just
created.
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7 Layering
The final step in building the structural model is to define the thickness and orientation of the layers between
horizons of the 3D grid. These layers, together with the pillars, define the cells of the 3D grid that are assigned
attributes during property modelling. You can define the vertical resolution of the grid by setting the cell
thickness, defining a number of cells or by using a fraction code. The layers should be defined based on the
properties to be modelled. The layer thickness should be the thickness of the thinnest facies to be modelled.

1. Ensure the model that includes the geological zones is active.

2. Click on Layering process ain the Ribbon

3. For each zone, define your layering. Use a variety of Zone divisions. Specify the number of layers
(Proportional), cell thickness (Follow top/base) or relative proportions (Fractions).

Proportional - Constant number of cell layers at every pillar of the grid. The cell layering will be somewhat
conformed to both the top and base of the zone.
Follow top - Cell layering parallel to the top of the zone.
Follow base - Cell layering parallel to the bottom of the zone.
Follow surface - Defines layers in the 3D grid parallel to a specific surface. It preserves the correct layering in
eroded zones and enables a more accurate property distribution.
Fraction - Layering, with user controlled proportional thickness of each cell layer.
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4. Display your layering in a new 3D window. As an example:

Fractions

Proportional Follow top

Follow base

Vertical Variogram Analysis - Correct layering

Analysis of variograms can be used to determine the required grid resolution. To aid in selecting the layer
thickness, a vertical variogram can be modelled for spatially varying properties immediately after performing the
log upscaling. The main purpose is to extract an upper bound for the layer thickness for the zone (i.e., 1/2x
vertical range).

Layer resolution should be at or below ½ of the vertical range.

1. Select the Model grid to activate it. Open the Data analysis process and select the upscaled well log
(porosity in the example below). Unlock the zone settings by clicking on the Leave settings unchanged
icon . Select the zone and use raw logs data .

2. Go to the Variograms tab (vertical direction subtub in v2012).

3. Select the Toggle simbox mode off .

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4. Set up a proper search cone parameters to compute the experimental variogram.

- The search radius should span the entire zone

- Adjust the No lags; the Lag distance will change accordingly

5. Use a spherical model type.

6. Perform a preliminary vertical variogram analysis for the data values.

7. Repeat steps 1-6 for every zone in the model.

8. Check the value of the Vertical range and compare with the cell thickness for every analysed zone by
checking the Average zinc (along pillar) in the Statistics tab of the zones.
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Use raw log data as

source

Toggle off Simbox mode for

vertical analysis

Grid layering should be ½ of vertical

range

In this example, the vertical range can be interpreted as 26,516 (project units) from the variogram. Half of the
vertical range in this example amounts to 13 (project units). This suggests that grid layering should not exceed 13
in thickness. In the statistics tab, the current grid layer resolution is 12,6 which is correct.