Methodology for risking fault seal capacity: Implications of fault zone architecture

Færseth, Roald B.; Johnsen, Eivind; Sperrevik, S.

doi:10.1306/03080706051

Cited by 66 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…However, in the case of decametre (.10 m scale) thickness shale units deformed by meso-scale to relatively small seismic-scale fault throws, general experience is that clay smears only appear to begin to lose their 3D coherence when the fault throw exceeds a value equivalent to 4 or 5 times the source bed thickness, such that clay smears of this scale are fully capable of separating different fluid types and pressures (e.g. Faerseth 2006;Faerseth et al 2007). Under these circumstances the fault plane is completely sealed across the smear and stratigraphic continuity is essentially maintained (note that sands also smear and only contain weakly baffling fault rocks), such that the flow integrity of sands and sealing capacity of significant shales (i.e.…”

Section: Fault Seal Potentialmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stratigraphic and structural compartmentalization of dryland fluvial reservoirs: Triassic Heron Cluster, Central North Sea

McKie

Jolley

Kristensen

2010

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This paper describes the nature and relative significance of stratigraphic and structural compartmentalization in dryland fluvial reservoirs using data drawn from the Heron Cluster (Heron, Egret and Skua) oil fields in the UK Central North Sea. The Triassic Skagerrak Formation reservoir in these fields was deposited in a variety of dryland terminal fluvial settings, ranging from relatively arid terminal splay and playa to more vegetated, channel-confined systems with associated floodplain and palustrine facies. Laterally extensive floodbasin shales punctuate this terminal fluvial architecture. Static and dynamic data indicate that these fields are compartmentalized: geochemical data indicate significant fluid variations both between wells and vertically within individual wells; material balance calculations suggest production from restricted connected volumes, locally from a subset of the range of oils present; and re-perforation across significant shale boundaries access undepleted reservoir with different fluid compositions. Lateral variations could be ascribed to prominent structuration within these fields, but in general these high net:gross reservoirs do not have a viable fault seal mechanism. Early (syn-halokinetic) grounding of Triassic 'pods' between salt swells during salt withdrawal has resulted in zones of intense faulting along the zone of contact of the pod and the underlying basement, and also on the flanks of pods as the margins collapsed under further salt withdrawal. This deformation occurred under relatively shallow burial depths and is largely expressed by disaggregation zones and phyllosilicate fault rocks. Fault property averaging algorithms (e.g. shale gouge ratio), indicate that the sands should communicate across the juxtapositions, implying that the fluids and pressures should equilibrate between reservoir sands. However, the stratigraphic differences across major shales in both fluid geochemistry and pressure caused by draw-down are preserved despite the presence of these faults. The preservation of stratigraphic compartments indicates that for these faults the deformation mechanism was probably dominated by clay smear, in which the shale-prone sequence was smeared down the fault planes without losing its coherence. This style of stratigraphic compartmentalization occurs across several shale-prone intervals that are correlatable across the region. In some cases these mark the boundaries to major changes in fluvial depositional character, provenance and floodplain drainage, suggesting an extrinsic control that led to shale packages defining consistent barriers in all the fields. Other shale barriers do not show major changes in depositional character and, although correlatable, appear to be the product of semiregional advance and retreat of the fluvial systems, possibly combined with nodal avulsion. In contrast to reservoirs deposited by large exorheic rivers, the terminal nature of these dryland fluvial systems appears to have resulted in the repeated interfingering of fluvial and floodb...

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Section: Fault Seal Potentialmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stratigraphic and structural compartmentalization of dryland fluvial reservoirs: Triassic Heron Cluster, Central North Sea

McKie

Jolley

Kristensen

2010

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“…Subsurface fluid flow within faulted and fractured reservoirs is strongly influenced by deformation mechanisms and their intensity, distribution and overall mechanical evolution (Antonellini and Aydin, 1994;Caine et al, 1996;Yielding et al, 1997;Faerseth et al, 2007;Fossen and Bale, 2007;Tondi, 2007;Manzocchi et al, 2008;Rotevatn et al, 2009;Agosta et al, 2012). In carbonate rocks, deformation mechanisms are mainly controlled by the physical/chemical properties of rocks, which are, in turn, the result of different composition, depositional settings and diagenetic evolution (Zhang and Spiers, 2005;Tondi, 2007;Rustichelli et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural properties of fractured and faulted Cretaceous platform carbonates, Murge Plateau (southern Italy)

Korneva

Tondi

Agosta

et al. 2014

Marine and Petroleum Geology

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“…Many parameters that represent geological factors affecting fault connectivity have been proposed to evaluate whether a fault would have served as a barrier or conduit for hydrocarbon migration (e.g., Harding and Tuminas, 1989;Knott, 1993;Knipe et al, 1997;Sorkhabi et al, 2002;Faerseth et al, 2007). Some parameters that can be obtained from routine exploration data are discussed below ( Fig.…”

Section: Parameters Characterizing Fault Connectivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In fact, any one factor that affects sealability in one or other aspects can be parameterized. However, the effectiveness of a particular parameter varies from case to case (Faerseth et al, 2007). The role of a geological factor on fault sealability during hydrocarbon migration must be well understood before the factor can be accurately parameterized and effective.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of geological factors in characterizing fault connectivity during hydrocarbon migration: Application to the Bohai Bay Basin

Zhang

Luo

Vasseur

et al. 2011

Marine and Petroleum Geology

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Methodology for risking fault seal capacity: Implications of fault zone architecture

Cited by 66 publications

References 46 publications

Stratigraphic and structural compartmentalization of dryland fluvial reservoirs: Triassic Heron Cluster, Central North Sea

Stratigraphic and structural compartmentalization of dryland fluvial reservoirs: Triassic Heron Cluster, Central North Sea

Structural properties of fractured and faulted Cretaceous platform carbonates, Murge Plateau (southern Italy)

Evaluation of geological factors in characterizing fault connectivity during hydrocarbon migration: Application to the Bohai Bay Basin

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