Automatic building of structured geological models

The present article proposes a method to significantly improve the construction and the updating of 3D geological models used for oil and gas exploration. This is done by taking advantage of the specific structures which characterize geological objects. We present a prototype of a "geological pilot" which enables to monitor the automatic building of a 3D model topologically and geologically consistent, starting from a set of unsegmented surfaces. The geological pilot uses a "Geological Evolution Scheme" (GES), which records all the interpretation elements that the exploration geologist, who is the end user, whishes to introduce into the model. The model building is operated by reading instructions deduced from the GES. Topology is step by step dealt with by using a "3D Generalized Maps" (3-G-Maps) data model enriched to enable the manipulation of objects having specific geological attributes. The result is a correct 3D model on which geological links between objects can easily be visualized. This model can automatically be revised in case of changes in the geometric data or in the interpretation. In its final version, the created modular tool will be apt to be coupled with 3D modelers currently used in exploration geology in order to improve their performances.