Truncated Gaussian and derived methods

Abstract

The interest of a digital model to represent the geological characteristics of the field is well established. However, the way to obtain it is not straightforward because this translation is necessarily a simplification of the actual field. This paper describes a stochastic model called truncated Gaussian simulations (TGS), which distributes a collection of facies or lithotypes over an area of interest. This method is based on facies proportions, spatial distribution and relationships, which can be easily tuned to produce numerous different textures. Initially developed for ordered facies, this model has been extended to complex organizations, where facies are not sequentially ordered. This method called pluri-Gaussian simulation (PGS) considers several Gaussian random functions, which can be correlated. PGS can produce a large variety of lithotype setups, as illustrated by several examples such as oriented deposits or high frequency layering.