6 CataclasisCataclastic grain-size reduction results from abrasion during deformation; smaller grains fill pore space and reduce porosityEffectiveness depends on:The hardness of the intact rockThe magnitude of displacementInitial normal stress on the fault surface prior to movement
7 Grain Size and Sorting Reduction
Feldspar AlterationClay Mineral FormationCataclasisShale smearing
8 Sealing Mechanisms: Mica Orientation
ProcessesShearingFluid flow
9 Cementation Minerals carried in solution in water under high pressure
As fault opens, pressure release occurs, water flows through fault and minerals precipitate out of solutionCrystallisation of cements in pore spaces reduces permeabilityCementReduced grain size
10 Clay SmearingLayers of shale contained within sequence are drawn into fault as movement along plane progressesImpermeable layer formed along fault depending on Shale Gouge Ratio (SGR) – ratio of sand to shale
11 Shale Gouge RatioThis measure is useful for predicting sealing ability of fault. 18 – 30% indicates high probability of a sealThe SGR is the percentage of shale within a part of the sequence which has moved past a point on the fault surface
12 Shale Gouge Example
13 Shale Gouge RatioAs SGR increases, sealing ability improves. The clay has a small pore throat size and therefore high capillary entry pressureWith smaller gouge ratios, brittle fracture and therefore cataclasis dominates. Sealing is less effective than clay smearShale forms an extremely effective capillary seal and permeability barrier due to the every small size of the pore throats and pore spaces.A high SGR value for a particular region of a fault would indicate that rock units with a high percentage of shale have slipped past that part of the fault. It has been determined that the onset of static seal over geological time occurs when the fault gouge reaches 18 – 20 % SGR.The pressure drop of the (hydrocarbon column height) that the fault gouge can maintain increases as the calculated clay content of the fault increases.
14 Examples of Clay Smearing
These examples show 3 faults in outcrop that range from sand-prone to shale-prone gouge and an intermediate sand/shale ratio gouge. These faults demonstrate a spectrum of gouge composition and of seal behaviourThe left-most fault displaces Tertiary sandstone and the gouge consists solely of sand. The center fault displaces Jurassic shale and limestone and the gouge consists of both shale and limestone. The right-most fault displaces a Jurassic limestone-shale sequence and the gouge consists of a 1 m thick layer of shale. Only small amounts of the more brittle limestones are incorporated in the gouge.
15 Clay Smearing on Microscopic Scale
16 Effectiveness of Fault Sealing Mechanisms
17 Sealing Capacity of Faults
Hd = 2gh(rt-1-rp-1)/g(rw-rh)rt = pore throat radius in the sealrp = pore throat radius in the reservoirgh = hydrocarbon-formation water interface tension(Oil: 5-35 dynes/cm Gas: dynes/cm).rw = density of the formation water (1 – 1.2 gm/cm3)rh = density of the hydrocarbon phase (Oil: 0.5 –1.0 gm/cm3 Gas: g/cm3)g = acceleration due to gravity
18 ModellingEmpirical methods for risking the sealing potential of faults have been devised in combination with outcrop and laboratory studiesEstimates the sealing potential of a fault offsetting a particular sequence and therefore the entry pressureFor a detailed modelidentify where a fault is sealed and where leakage may occurestablish where significant pressure differences are likely to besupported across a fault surface and their magnitudeunderstanding of the migration pathway and the column heightCan use models to predict the flow and flow restrictions of hydrocarbons due to fault properties using a programs such as the SEMI migration model or TransGenSuch modelling can only be achieved by 3-D analysis of the geometry and sealing characteristics of faults
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