Controls on Gas Distribution, Offshore Netherlands, Southern North Sea - Towards u Unified Theory of Fault Seal

Tabor, John R.; Busch, Jay P.; Dula, William F.; Naruk, Stephen J.

doi:10.3997/2214-4609.201405863

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“…16) are probably related to fault-related restricted lateral continuity of the Rotliegend reservoir in combination with its decreasing thickness and permeability close to the northern sand limit (Verweij et al, 2011). Fault sealing on a geological timescale was identified to play a major role in explaining present-day location and hydrocarbon column heights of numerous fault-bounded gas fields in the Upper Rotliegend gas play in the Netherlands (Tabor et al, 2003;Corona, 2005Corona, , 2010Van Hulten, 2010).…”

Section: Pressure Distribution and Fluid Flow In The Upper Rotliegendmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pressure and fluid dynamic characterisation of the Dutch subsurface

Verweij

Simmelink

Underschultz

et al. 2012

Netherlands Journal of Geosciences

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This paper presents and discusses the distribution of fluid and leak-off pressure data from the subsurface of onshore and offshore Netherlands in relation to causes of formation fluid overpressure and the permeability framework. The observed fluid pressure conditions demonstrate a clear regional difference between the southern and the north and north-eastern part of the study area. In the southern area, formation fluid pressures are close to normal and well below measured leak-off pressures. In the north, formation fluids are overpressured and may locally even approach the measured leak-off pressures. The regional differences in fluid overpressure can, in large part, be explained by differences in geologic framework and burial history. In the south, relatively low rates of sedimentary loading and the presence of relatively permeable sedimentary units have led to the currently observed normally pressured conditions. In the northern area, relatively rapid Neogene sediment loading plays an important role in explaining the observed overpressure distributions in Cenozoic mudstones, Cretaceous Chalk and Rijnland groups, and probably also in Jurassic units. The permeability framework of the northern and north-eastern area is significantly affected by Zechstein and Triassic salt deposits and structures. These units are characterised by very low permeability and severely restrict fluid flow and pressure dissipation. This has created hydraulically restricted compartments with high overpressures (for example overpressures exceeding 30 MPa in the Lower Germanic Trias Group in the Terschelling Basin and Dutch Central Graben).

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