Challenges in the modelling of hydrocarbon systems from seismic cubes

Seismic data have for a long time been used to build geologic models for basin modeling purposes. The basin models used in migration studies have typically been built as 2D section profiles (Figure 1), but over the last 10 years we have seen 3D stratigraphic geometries being built from interpreted seismic horizons. The interpretations have been depth-converted and merged into a 3D structural framework, and the "inside" of the layers have thereafter been populated with flow properties from geological libraries. These libraries will often be very elementary in their representation of the flow properties, resulting perhaps in too simple hydrocarbon migration flow patterns in modeled basins.