Representing a 3D surface on a map

Geol 493
Subsurface Mapping

Movie

The arrow points at … What is a contour line?

A. A ridge.
B. A valley.

Describe
this
surface

1
 Simple Contouring Rules
How do you make a contour map?
• A contour line separates points that are higher
from points that are lower • A contour lines separate points that
• Contour lines cannot cross are higher from points that are lower
• Contour lines cannot merge • Space the contours between all the
• Contour lines must close on themselves or know points
extend to the edge of the map
• Honor all the data
• Contour interval must remain constant for the
entire map

Contour this data using 25m interval

Datum = 0 m

2
 Problem: How to interpolate
between the known points?

175
150
125
100

10m contour spacing

Triangulation
Gridding

16
15

a. Inverse distance
Methods of interpolation
b. Kriging
• Least squares
c. Minimum
• Tangential curvature
• Spline d. Triangulation
• Weighted average e. Polynomial
a. b. regression
• Minimum curvature
• Polynomial
• Hyperbolic
• Kriging
• Trend surface
• Etc., etc., etc.!
c. d. e.

3
Advantages of Computer Contouring Advantages of Hand Contouring
• Fast
• Objective and unbiased
• Easily updated
• Allows you to impart your geologic
• Ready for later processing knowledge to the interpretation
• Only practical way if you have 1000s of data
points

Depth Structure Maps Dealing with multiple layers

Well 2 Well 4 Well 5 Land surface •Isopach maps
Well 1 Well 3
•Plot the elevation difference between two maps
Sea level

132 (132)

362
(356) 511 (502) -362
-211
530 (525) -385
•Log Depth
•(True Vertical Depth) Cross Sectional View
•Subsea Depth

Mississippian Top PennsylvanianTop

1800

1700

1800

4
 Pennsylvanian-Mississippian Isopach Pennsylvanian plus Isopach
800

700

600

500

400

300

Which well would encounter the thickest What about Unconformities?

sand? SW NE

-7800

-8000

A
-8200
Isopach
Map
Cross section

Unconformity Surface Map Top of Layer A

5
 Base of Layer A Isopach of Layer A

25

25

50

What about mapping other parameters? Michigan

• Extensive Surfaces:
• Black contours are
– Tops and Bottoms of formations structure
– Isopachs • Colors are porosity
• Circles are production
– Fault surfaces
– Fluid contacts, i.e. Gas-Oil, Water-Oil
• Intensive Surfaces:
– Porosity
– Fluid Saturation
– Production
Michigan Tech

Porosity map from reservoir

Mapping faults
model

Gaspar et al. 2013

6
 Contouring Faulted Surfaces Describe the Structure
• Faults break the continuity of a surface

Faulted surfaces

Normal Fault- North Sea Making a map of a faulted structure

1. Contour the surface without faults
2. Contour the fault plane
3. Find the intersection of the two maps
4. Correct the contours for the vertical
separation across the fault
5. Clean up

Virtual Seismic Atlas

7
Faulted structure contour map Faults from well data
NW Cross Section SE • A normal
3 fault can
remove a
2
piece of the
stratigraphy
14
in a well
• Missing
section is a
1 indicates
faulting

Reverse Faults- cross section

Reverse Faulting Example UNION OOLITE THRUST MODEL WITH FRACTURE SWARM

UNION OOLITE

(after Nelson, 2001)

no scale

8
DEPI #5639 (047-055-00226) Gamma Ray log

UNION OOLITE Cross-section A - A’

(Hanging wall)
NW SE

A A’
Thrust faults cause PILOT KNOB

100’ repetitions in the 0

LITTLE
LIME ARISTA

stratigraphy -500
UNION
PICKAWAY
-1000 DENMAR

PRICE
-1500
PILOT KNOB
THRUST FAULT
228’ vertical displacement

500’
UNION OOLITE
Scale:
500’
(Foot wall)

Where is the
highest point in the
E
structure in this
depth map?
A.
B.
D A B
C.
D.
E.
C