Method for modelling the formation of a sedimentary area by simulating tidal current-induced particle transport

1 . A computer-implemented method for modelling a formation of a sedimentary area and in view of operating a geological reservoir of the sedimentary area, the method comprising:

simulating an evolution of a geological gridded model of the sedimentary area, comprising a plurality of cells, over a predetermined period of time T, said simulating comprising:

a. assigning a water depth to each cell of the geological gridded model,

b. determining, for each cell of the geological gridded model, a direction and velocity of a water current,

c. introducing a number of particles in the geological gridded model,

d. transporting each introduced particle in the geological gridded model based on the computed direction and velocity of the water current, and

e. updating the geological gridded model of the area according to the transport of each introduced particle,

f. simulating the evolution of the geological gridded model of the sedimentary area according to the updated geological gridded model of the area over the period of time T, and

g. modelling the formation of the sedimentary area according to the evolution of the geological gridded model to produce a modelled sedimentary area,

wherein:

the water current is a tidal current, comprising alternate phases of rising tide current and falling tide current,

the simulation of the evolution of the geological gridded model over the predetermined period of time T comprises iterating steps a. to e. a number of times equal to 2k where k is an integer superior or equal to 1, where each iteration of steps a. to e. corresponds to simulating the evolution of the geological gridded model over a period of time T/2k,

each iteration of step b. is performed for one of the rising tide current or falling tide current, and

two successive iterations of step b. are performed respectively for one and the other of the rising tide current and falling tide current, and

operating the geological reservoir of the sedimentary area using the modelled sedimentary area.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein, for each cell, the direction of the rising tide current is opposite the direction of the falling tide current, and the energy of the rising tide current is equal to the energy of the falling tide current.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the water depth assigned to each cell is determined based on a reference water level, and determining the direction of the tidal current comprises:

determining a high tide water level from the reference water level and a tidal range,

determining a high tide shoreline from the determined high tide water level, and

setting, in each cell, the direction of the rising tide current and the falling tide current, according to the localization of the cell relative to the high tide shoreline, wherein the direction of the rising tide current is perpendicular and towards the shoreline, and the direction of the falling tide current is perpendicular and away from the shoreline.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tidal current is decomposed into a plurality of sub-currents comprising at least:

a plume current, located at water surface, and

a bottom current, located at water bottom,

and determining the velocity of the tidal current comprises determining a velocity of each sub-current into which the current is decomposed.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein determining, for each cell, the velocity of the tidal current comprises computing the energy of the plume current and inferring, from the energy of the plume current in the cell, the energy in the cell of all other sub-currents into which the current is decomposed.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the water depth assigned to each cell is determined based on a reference water level, and determining the velocity of the tidal current comprises:

determining a high tide water level from the reference water level and a tidal range, and a water depth of tidal current limit of influence from the tidal range,

determining a high tide shoreline from the determined high tide water level, and

computing an energy of the tidal plume current at the cell, the energy of the tidal plume current being a function of the distance of the cell relative to the high tide shoreline, such that the tidal plume current energy increases from zero at the high tide shoreline to its maximum value at a distance from the shore corresponding to a cell height equal to the reference water level, and decreasing from this distance until reaching zero at a distance from the shore corresponding to a water depth, relative to the high tide water level, equal to the water depth of tidal current limit of influence.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , further comprising inferring an energy of the tidal bottom current at the cell from the energy of the tidal plume current at the cell, the energy of the tidal bottom current being a function of the water depth of the cell, relative to the high tide water level, such that the bottom current energy is equal to the plume current energy at a water depth of zero, and decreases until reaching a value of zero for a water depth of at least the water depth of tidal current limit of influence.

8 . A computer program product, comprising code instructions stored in non-transitory computer-readable memory for implementing the method according to claim 1 , when it is executed by a processor.

9 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, having stored thereon a computer program comprising program instructions, the computer program being loadable into a processor and adapted to cause the processor to carry out, when the computer program is run by the processor, the method according to claim 1 .

10 . A device for modelling the formation of a sedimentary area, the device comprising a processor configured to implement the method according to claim 1 .

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein operating the geological reservoir of the sedimentary area comprises recovering oil or gas from the sedimentary area in accordance with the modelled sedimentary area.