Crossing conjugate normal faults in field exposures and seismic data

Ferrill, David A.; Morris, Alan P.; McGinnis, Ronald N.

doi:10.1306/06250909039

Cited by 39 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 38 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Fault reactivation must be taken into account when assessing the leakage potential of a reservoir interval. Methods to assess the risk of breaching seal units by the juxtaposition of permeable strata across faults include detailed assessments of fault geometry and the use of in-situ stresses (Ferrill et al, 2009;Jones and Hillis, 2003;Morris et al, 1996). However, the absence of borehole breakout data for the Espírito Santo Basin made necessary the use of paleostress data, and juxtaposition diagrams, to provide evidence for reservoir compartmentalisation associated with fault reactivation.…”

Section: Structural Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Corridors of crestal and radial faults linking salt diapirs in the Espírito Santo Basin, SE Brazil

Mattos

Alves

2018

Tectonophysics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This work uses high-quality 3D seismic data to assess the geometry of fault families around salt diapir in SE Brazil (Espírito Santo Basin). It aims at evaluating the timings of fault growth, and suggests the generation of corridors for fluid migration linking discrete salt diapirs. Three salt diapirs, one salt ridge, and five fault families were identified based on their geometry and relative locations. Displacement-length (D-x) plots, Throw-depth (T-z) data and structural maps indicate that faults consist of multiple segments that were reactivated by dip-linkage following a preferential NE-SW direction. This style of reactivation and linkage is distinct from other sectors of the Espírito Santo Basin where the preferential mode of reactivation is by upwards vertical propagation. Reactivation of faults above a Mid-Eocene unconformity is also scarce in the study area. Conversely, two halokinetic episodes dated as Cretaceous and Paleogene are interpreted below a Mid-Eocene unconformity. This work is important as it recognises the juxtaposition of permeable strata across faults as marking the generation of fault corridors linking adjacent salt structures. In such a setting, fault modelling shows that fluid will migrate towards the shallower salt structures along the fault corridors first identified in this work.

show abstract

Section: Structural Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Corridors of crestal and radial faults linking salt diapirs in the Espírito Santo Basin, SE Brazil

Mattos

Alves

2018

Tectonophysics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Both of them independently explain the formation of the v-shaped horst structure in the center of the study area. Scenario A assumes a positive flower structure and scenario B conjugate crossing normal faults (e.g., Ferrill et al 2000Ferrill et al , 2009 to be the major factor of the structural evolution.…”

Section: Kinematic Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal evolution of fault systems in the Upper Jurassic of the Central German Molasse Basin: case study Unterhaching

Budach

Moeck

Lüschen

et al. 2017

Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These can either be conjugate fault sets (e.g., Zhao and Johnson, 1991;Nicol et al, 1995;Ferrill et al, 2009;Nixon et al, 2011) that formed in the same stress system, or multiple fault sets that form from the overprinting of two or more stress systems (Davatzes et al, 2003;Bailey et al, 2005). The latter can form new faults with different orientations and/or cause reactivation of pre-existing faults (e.g., Kim et al, 2001), which can also have a strong influence on the development of later fault sets (e.g., Segall and Pollard, 1983;Bailey et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They can also act as fluid barriers compartmentalizing reservoirs (Bouvier et al, 1989;Leveille et al, 1997), which is a major uncertainty in the qualitative and quantitative assessment of a reservoir in the hydrocarbon industry (Jolley et al, 2010). Furthermore, fault interaction and reactivation are important when assessing reservoir quality and heterogeneity, as they can contribute to damage zones as well as cause variations in bed thinning, attenuation and trap integrity (i.e., Fossen et al, 2005;Gartrell et al, 2006;Ferrill et al, 2009). Such affects often occur around fault intersection lines or branch lines, hence, being able to identify and characterize different fault interactions, within a network, is essential when interpreting reservoir deformation and evaluating communication between fault bound compartments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fault interactions and reactivation within a normal-fault network at Milne Point, Alaska

Nixon¹,

Sanderson²,

Dee³

et al. 2014

Bulletin

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A normal-fault network from Milne Point, Alaska, is investigated focusing on characterizing geometry, displacement, strain, and different fault interactions. The network, constrained from threedimensional seismic reflection data, comprises two generations of faults: Cenozoic north-northeast-trending faults and Jurassic west-northwest-trending faults, which highly compartmentalize Upper Triassic to Lower Cretaceous reservoirs. The west-northwest-trending faults are influenced by a similarly oriented underlying structural grain. This influence is characterized by increases in throw on several faults, strain localization, reorientation of faults and an increase in linkage maturity.Reconstructing fault plane geometries and mapping spatial variations in throw identified key characteristic features in their interactions and reactivation of pre-existing structures. Faults are divided into isolated, abutting, and splaying faults. Isolated faults exhibit a range of displacement profiles depending on the degree of restriction at fault tips. Fault splays accommodate step-like decreases in throw along larger main faults with a throw maximum at the intersection with the main fault. Throw profiles of abutting faults are divided into two groups: early stage abutting faults with throw minima at both the isolated and abutting tips, and developed abutting faults with throw maxima near the abutting tip.Developed abutting faults accumulate throw after initial abutment, locally reactivating and transferring throw onto the preexisting fault. Two abutting faults can link kinematically by Stephen Dee is a senior structural geologist at BP, working in the Integrated Subsurface Description and Modelling team and consulting on structural and geomechanics projects. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Southampton and specializes in fault and fracture interpretation, geomechanical modeling, and seal analysis.

show abstract

Crossing conjugate normal faults in field exposures and seismic data

Cited by 39 publications

References 38 publications

Corridors of crestal and radial faults linking salt diapirs in the Espírito Santo Basin, SE Brazil

Corridors of crestal and radial faults linking salt diapirs in the Espírito Santo Basin, SE Brazil

Temporal evolution of fault systems in the Upper Jurassic of the Central German Molasse Basin: case study Unterhaching

Fault interactions and reactivation within a normal-fault network at Milne Point, Alaska

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About