A Workflow for Interpretation of Fracture Characteristics Based on Digital Outcrop Models: A Case Study on Ebian XianFeng Profile in Sichuan Basin

Abstract Collecting information about fracture attributes through outcrops measurement is crucial for analyzing the scale, distribution, orientation, and spatial arrangement of fractures. The emergence of digital outcrop models (DOMs) provides a new technology for quantitative interpretation of fractures. However, large-scale DOMs pose additional challenges to the practical application, particularly in the interpretation of geological elements (e.g. fractures). This research proposes a workflow for fracture characteristics interpretation based on DOMs. First, DOMs are generated using light detection and ranging scanning technology. Then, a 3D visualization platform is developed based on OpenSceneGraph. We use level-of-detail technology to reconstruct DOMs for multiscale fast visualization of large-scale models. Finally, in order to realize the quantitative interpretation of fractures, we propose the best-plane fitting and the feature information (orientation, length, spacing, etc.) extraction methods for two types of fractures (exposed fracture walls and fracture traces). The proposed methods are applied to extract attributes of fractures in Dengying Formation (second member), Ebian, Xianfeng, southwest Sichuan Basin, China. The results provide the basis for reservoir evaluation in this area.