How do I import or export faults?

Insight can import and export faults in three ways: using either the GeoQuest IESX format, VoxelGeo XYZ or using DUG's own (.dufault) format.

Importing fault sticks from a GeoQuest IESX file

Importing fault sticks from a GeoQuest IESX file

This standard format can be produced by almost every software package. A single file can contain an arbitrary number of faults, each of which will be imported as a separate fault in Insight. Unassigned fault sticks are imported in the same way.

Insight imports only fault sticks, from which it will build its own tesselated surface and fault polygons. Insight does not yet import fault polygons or surfaces from other software.

The example above shows a GeoQuest IESX data file.

Importing fault sticks from a DUG fault file

The DUG fault file is a simple text format that may be more convenient for scripting.

It consists of a single X/Y/Z point per line, separated by whitespace, with a blank line to indicate a new fault stick. The filename generally has the extension ".dufault"

This is an example of a three-stick .dufault file:

626281 6178923 2604
626269 6178885 2706
626210 6178697 2833
626110 6179213 2602
626051 6179027 2860
626009 6178894 3027
625971 6178772 3113
625918 6179436 2590
625858 6179245 2987
625792 6179036 3194
625732 6178847 3373
Click to copy

Importing fault sticks from a VoxelGeo XYZ fault file

Importing fault sticks from a VoxelGeo XYZ fault file

The example above shows a VoxelGeo XYZ data file.

Exporting fault sticks as a GeoQuest IESX file

Exporting fault sticks as a GeoQuest IESX file

This standard format can be read by almost every software package. By default, Insight exports the fault sticks to the GeoQuest IESX format (.dat file extension). If you have defined a velocity volume for time/depth conversion (see Converting Time-Depth), you can export the fault based on the time/depth domain.

  1. In the Fault tab, right click on the fault(s) you wish to export.
  2. Click Export 'Fault'.
  3. In the Export Fault window, select the time (TWT) or depth (TVDSS) domain to export your fault.
  4. Click OK.
  5. Browse to the location you want to export the fault(s) and click Save.

Exporting fault surfaces as a GoCAD file

When exporting a single fault, Insight will also export the tesselated fault surface in a separate GoCAD TSurf file alongside the GeoQuest file containing the sticks.