Working in complex areas: New restoration workflow based on quality control, 2D and 3D restorations

Abstract

When working in complex areas, the explorationist needs to construct 3D models and to check their coherency. Coherence can be analyzed on the current geometry but could also be quantified through restoration. To achieve this restoration, i.e. the search for an initial geometry with a realistic deformation pathway between the initial and the final geometries, appropriate tools are necessary. These include classical cross-section balancing, surface unfolding and volumetric restoration. In this paper, we will describe a workflow to do quantitative structural geology in complex areas. This includes the construction and quality control of the surfacic model, the line balancing, the cross-section, surface and multi-surface restoration and the volumic restoration. In addition to the quality control of the geometries, the restoration allows us to compute strain tensors. This can be done in the three types of restoration and visualized through ellipses and ellipsoids (resp. 2D and 3D) that represent the main strain or stress vectors. We shall discuss the relationship between these strain tensors and the expected fracture network, in density as in direction.