The Impact of Salt Tectonics on the Thermal Evolution and the Petroleum System of Confined Rift Basins: Insights from Basin Modeling of the Nordkapp Basin, Norwegian Barents Sea

Cedeño, Andrés; Rojo, Luis Alberto; Cardozo, Néstor; Centeno, Luis; Escalona, Alejandro

doi:10.3390/geosciences9070316

Cited by 21 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 52 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The fluid source cannot be fully constrained, but could be explained by deep convection of seawater along faults and fractures with some degree of modification through interactions with the underlying Triassic sandstone, salt and the CAMP basalt 44 . The presence of thick salt unit could also have facilitated fluid convection because of the temperature gradient created by its high thermal conductivity; such a process has been invoked in several salt-dominated basins 47 – 50 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coevolution of diagenetic fronts and fluid-fracture pathways

Koeshidayatullah

Al-Sinawi

Swart

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Diagenetic boundaries are paleo-reaction fronts, which have the potential to archive the termination of metasomatic processes in sedimentary rocks. They have not been extensively studied, perhaps because they appear simple in outcrop. Recent work has demonstrated the significance of paleo-reaction fronts to decipher multiphase recrystallization processes and provide high porosity zones. This paper provides a detailed documentation of reaction front evolution in a tectonically active salt basin and reveals a high level of complexity, associated with multiple fluid flow and tectonic events. Here, consistent patterns of increasing dolomite stoichiometry and ordering, along with a change from seawater-derived, fabric-retentive dolomite to fracture-controlled, fabric-destructive hydrothermal dolomite are observed vertically across the stratabound dolomite bodies. These patterns, coupled with a decrease in porosity, increase in ∆47 temperature and δ18Owater values indicate multiphase recrystallization and stabilization by warm, Mg-rich fluids. The stratabound dolomite bodies apparently terminated at a fracture-bound contact, but the presence of dolomite fragments within the fracture corridor suggests that fracturing post-dated the first dolomitization event. The termination of dolomite formation is therefore interpreted to be associated with a decrease in the capacity of the magnesium-rich fluids to dolomitize the rock, as indicated by the presence of non-stoichiometric and poorly ordered dolomite at the reaction fronts. The fracture corridors are interpreted to exploit dolostone-limestone boundaries, forming prior to a later, higher temperature, hydrothermal dolomitization event, which coincided with the formation and growth of the anticline. Karstification subsequently exploited these fracture corridors, widening fractures and leading to localized collapse and brecciation. The results demonstrate that an apparently simple reaction front can have a complex history, governed by the inheritance of prior diagenetic events. These events modified rock properties in such a way that fluid flow was repeatedly focused along the original dolomite-limestone boundary, overprinting much of its original signature. These findings have implications to the prediction of structurally controlled diagenetic processes and the exploration of naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs for energy exploration globally.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coevolution of diagenetic fronts and fluid-fracture pathways

Koeshidayatullah

Al-Sinawi

Swart

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…removed from salt tectonic context); ii) composed purely of halite; iii) 2-D or have simple cylindrical shapes, and iv) have thermal conductivities that do not change with depth (e.g. O'Brien and Lerche, 1984;Mello et al, 1995;Cedeño et al, 2019) (e.g. Fig.…”

Section: Role Of Salt Tectonics In Optimising Geothermal Energy In Sa...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Salt Tectonics in the Energy Transition: An Overview and Future Challenges

Duffy¹,

Hudec²,

Peel³

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The fundamental properties of salt have long been exploited in the search for hydrocarbons, as they influence many of the hydrocarbon play elements. This industrial application has driven the pursuit of salt tectonic knowledge over the last century and led to major conceptual advances in the field. However, the current need, and social-political demand, to decarbonize suggests that the applicability of salt tectonic knowledge will expand to other aspects of the subsurface that are relevant to the energy transition. The pace of this change leaves the field of salt tectonics grappling with a fundamental question – what role does salt tectonics have as part of the energy transition? Here, we discuss the role salt tectonics can play in a number of key energy transition technologies, namely, energy storage as gas in salt caverns (e.g. hydrogen and compressed air), CO2 storage, and geothermal energy. For each of these technologies we explore: i) fundamental concepts and driving forces; ii) how and why the properties of salt are of importance; and iii) the key salt-related technical challenges, potential future research directions, and technical approaches needed for large-scale development. We highlight how salt basins offer vast potential for development throughout the energy transition including, but not limited to: i) the likely demand for thousands of new hydrogen storage caverns inside salt bodies by 2050; ii) a likely early focus for porous media CO2 storage sites in basins strongly influenced by salt tectonics; and iii) enhanced geothermal energy potential in and around salt bodies. Effective exploitation of these resources will require a deeper understanding of the internal composition, geometry, and evolution of salt structures and their surrounding sediments, and potentially the development of more predictive models of salt tectonic behaviour. Critically, we see the need to integrate learnings of salt tectonics gained in the academic, mining, solution mining, and oil and gas communities, and apply a fresh perspective to answer research questions of relevance to the energy transition. Developing this new understanding will help optimise design, reduce geotechnical risk, and improve efficiency for energy transition technologies, thus indicating a strong future demand for salt tectonic research.

show abstract

“…Two studies of the specific analysis of the impact of salt on basin temperature illustrate how the modeling of salt diapirs can be integrated into future exploration models. Cedeño et al [6] used Slumberger software to analyze the impact of salt diapirism on the subsurface temperature and the timing of maturation in a confined salt-bearing basin in the Norwegian Barents Sea, showing that the densely packed diapirs depress temperatures by 50-70 • C and delay maturation. With examples from the Nordkapp Basin, they show that the temperatures along the diapir flanks are 70 • C cooler and are exceptionally low (~150 • C) at depths of~9 km beneath the salt.…”

Section: Salt Diapirsmentioning

confidence: 99%