Fluid flow reconstruction in hanging and footwall carbonates: Compartmentalization by Cenozoic reverse faulting in the Northern Oman Mountains (UAE)

In this paper, the diagenesis from either side of a major Cenozoic reverse fault in the Northern Oman Mountains is documented. Detailed petrographical and geochemical analysis of calcite-filled fractures in carbonate strata of Late Triassic and Early Cretaceous age in the hanging wall and footwall in Wadi Ghalilah reflect a different diagenetic history. In both hanging wall and footwall most of the fractures are pre-burial, extensional in origin, formed by a crack-seal mechanism, and the calcite vein infill has a host-rock buffered signature. In the hanging wall, the fluid responsible for calcite precipitation of these extensional fractures was a marine fluid at 60 °C. These veins predate deep burial and contractional tectonic deformation and consequently do not provide any information about syntectonic fluid flow. Neither do the pre-burial extension fractures in the footwall which are also host-rock buffered. The fractures post-dating the tectonic stylolitization in the footwall, by contrast, show evidence of syntectonic migration of saline formation waters at temperatures between 80 and 160 °C during contractional deformation. These fluids probably were sourced from the subsurface via the reverse fault, which acted as a fluid conduit. At the same time, however, this fault functioned as a permeability barrier towards the hanging wall, since no evidence of syntectonic fluid flow is present here. In this way compartmentalization of the hanging wall and footwall block was realized.     

Cover deformation above steep, basement normal faults: Insights from 2D discrete element modeling

A discrete element model is used to investigate progressive cover deformation above a steep (70°), basement normal fault. The cover materials are homogenous with frictional material behavior. In the model shown here both normal and reverse faults in the cover accommodate displacement on the underlying basement fault. The earliest faults are curved, reverse faults which propagate upwards from the basement fault tip into the proto hanging wall. These are replaced, progressively towards the footwall, by subvertical to steep normal faults and finally by a normal fault which dips at an angle predicted by Mohr-Coulomb theory. Thus, most early, secondary structures are located in the hanging-wall of the final, through-going, fault. This structural evolution produces an asymmetric, triangular zone of deformation above the basement fault tip which superficially resembles that associated with trishear; however, its progressive development is quite different. Results also emphasize that the occurrence of reverse faults in extensional settings is not diagnostic of inversion.     

南堡凹陷4号构造带蛤坨断层特征与油气成藏关系

南堡凹陷4号构造带断裂发育,既发育沟通烃源岩的深断裂,也发育沟通浅层圈闭的次级断裂。综合利用地震、测井、岩性等资料分析断层的空间展布,计算蛤坨断层的生长指数和断层泥比率（SGR）,分析断层的活动性、封堵性,评价其输导性能,并结合其与烃源岩生排烃期的匹配关系研究断裂与油气运移、聚集的关系及控制规律。在典型油气藏剖面解剖的基础上,建立了4号构造带油气运聚成藏模式。     

琼东南盆地深水区断层垂向输导及成藏模式

In the Qiongdongnan Basin, faults are well developed.Based on the drilling results, the traps controlled two or more faults are oil-rich. However, when only one fault cut through the sand body, there is no sign for hy-drocarbon accumulation in the sandstone. In terms of this phenomenon, the principle of reservoir-forming controlled by fault terrace is proposed, i.e., when the single fault activates, because of the incompressibility of pore water, the resistance of pore and the direction of buoyancy, it is impossible for hydrocarbon to ac-cumulate in sandstone. But when there are two or more faults, one of the faults acts as the spillway so the hydrocarbon could fill in the pore of sandstone through other faults. In total five gas bearing structures and four failure traps are considered, as examples to demonstrate our findings. According to this theory, it is well-advised that south steep slope zone of Baodao-Changchang Depression, south gentle slope zone of Lingshui Depression, north steep slope zone of Lingshui Depression, and north steep slope zone of Baodao Depression are the most favorable step-fault zones, which are the main exploration direction in next stage.     

High-resolution record of tectonic and sedimentary processes in growth strata

Growth strata are used to determine the kinematics of synsedimentary structures such as faults. Classical methods of analysis such as thickness versus throw plot consider that the available space created by fault slip in the hanging wall of faults is instantaneously filled up by sediments. This has lead many previous works to identify a cyclic activity for growth faults. Here we perform a careful analysis of the variation of strata thicknesses on each side of a very well documented normal growth fault in the Niger delta. We show that these thickness variations are induced by the alternation of sedimentary processes during continuous fault slip. Suspended-load processes induce either uniform or slightly variable thickness of a large majority of mudstone layers. Bedload processes result in a preferential thickening of sand layers in the hanging wall. These high quality data thus provide strong grounds for doubting the polycyclic growth diagnosed for some faults at the scale of sedimentary cycles and supports the notion that fault displacement rates can be very well behaved. Our study emphasizes the important conclusion that stable fault growth, and related displacement rates, can appear to be punctuated when viewed at the scale of sedimentary cycles. It follows that care should be taken when attempting to derive displacement rates on temporal scales equivalent to those of alternating sedimentological cycles.     

青东凹陷断裂特征及其对沉积的控制作用

通过对青东凹陷古近纪的断裂体系和主要同沉积断裂的活动和特征分析,表明区内主要发育NNE、EW、NW向三组断裂体系,NNE向的凹陷边界断裂青东1号断层和EW向的主要二级同沉积断层f1、f2控制了凹陷内次级构造单元的划分,凹陷由北向南依次划分为北部深洼、北部凸起、中部次洼、南部凸起、南部次洼、西南缘缓坡带以及东部陡坡带等7个次级构造单元。研究表明,凹陷内各洼陷的沉降中心在古近纪发生了明显的分异和迁移,这些变化受控于区内主要同沉积断裂的差异活动和演化,青东1号断裂和f3断裂在古近纪的持续活动共同控制了北部深洼的沉积充填,f1和f4断裂分别控制了中部次洼和南部次洼的发育;主要断裂的活动及其组合样式控制着湖底扇、扇三角洲、辫状河三角洲等粗碎屑沉积体系的发育。与生油洼陷相邻的主要同沉积断裂形成的断裂带具备形成砂岩油气藏的各种有利条件,其中东部盆缘断裂带是区内砂岩油气藏勘探最有利的区带。     

Origin of transverse folds in an extensional growth-fault setting: Evidence from an extensive seismic volume in the western Gulf of Mexico

Growth faults in gravity-driven extensional provinces are dominated by coast-parallel trends, but coast-perpendicular (transverse) trends are far less documented. The Clemente–Tomas fault in the inner Texas shelf has corrugations that are transverse to the fault and that plunge downdip. A large (8500 km²), high-quality, 3D seismic survey allows a uniquely encompassing perspective into hanging-wall deformation above this corrugated fault surface. Synextensional strata in the hanging wall are folded into alternating transverse ridges and synclines, typically spaced 10 km apart. Forward modelling in dip profiles of an extensional fault having three ramps produces ramp basin-rollover pairs that compare with the seismically revealed ridges and synclines. As they translated down the undulose fault plane, ramp basins and rollovers were juxtaposed along strike, forming the hanging-wall ridges and synclines observed offshore Texas. Fault-surface corrugations correlate broadly with footwall structure. We infer that corrugations on the Clemente–Tomas fault formed by evacuation of an allochthonous salt canopy emplaced in the late Eocene to early Oligocene. Early salt evacuation (Oligocene) created an undulose topography that influenced incipient Clemente-Tomas fault segments as they merged to form an inherently undulose fault. Late salt evacuation (early Miocene) further deformed this fault surface.     

Structural patterns of the late Mesozoic crustal detachment system in the Raoyang Sag,Bohai Bay Basin,eastern China: New insights from 3D seismic data

Understanding the late Mesozoic tectonic origin and structural patterns of the Bohai Bay Basin (BBB) is of growing importance for its buried-hill petroleum exploration. This study revealed, based on 3D seismic and borehole data, that the Raoyang Sag in the Jizhong Depression, western BBB, was dominated by a crustal detachment system during the late Jurassic to the early Cretaceous. It was characterized by the WNW-dipping low-angle detachment fault F₀ (namely Cangxi Fault), the structural dome cored by Archean Basement rocks at the footwall and supradetachment basins on the hanging wall. We suggested the late Mesozoic volcanic materials and coarse deposits accumulated in the supradetachment basins had locally diminished the petroleum prospect, but the syndetachment deformation and denudation had contributed to it by means of promoting petroleum migration from source rocks to reservoirs and improving porosity and permeability of the reservoir rocks by karstification and structural fracturing.     

济阳坳陷商河油田断层与油气运聚的关系

利用断层落差法、生长指数法和泥岩涂抹SGR法分析了商河油田断层活动性和封闭性特征,并结合油气分布分析了断层与油气运聚之间的关系。研究结果表明,商河油田1号、2号、3号及6号断层在馆陶期持续活动,是油气向中浅部沙一段等储集层运移的有利垂向通道;同时,具有良好侧向封堵条件的断层容易使油气聚集成藏,认为SGR=0.75是断层侧向封闭的临界条件。     

渤海湾盆地南堡凹陷断裂控藏特征研究

南堡凹陷为渤海湾盆地的一个新生代富生烃凹陷，内部断层十分发育，大量的油气藏都围绕断裂分布。根据断裂平面及剖面组合特征，断裂平面组合样式可分为4种：平行状、交织状、梳状和帚状；剖面组合分为3种：复“y”形组合、花状组合及阶梯式组合。根据断裂、砂体及油气藏的分布特征，发现二级和三级生长断层凹面储集厚度较大、且砂体孔渗性较好，是油气运移的主要方向。反向旋转断层组合的断层下盘和同向旋转断层组合的断层上盘是油气聚集的有利部位。但由于断层带的分带性，上诱导裂缝带相对下诱导裂缝带渗透性好。上诱导裂缝带利于油气运移，下诱导裂缝带利于封堵油气，油气的最有利聚集部位为反向旋转断层组合的下盘。     

陡坡带油气藏构造特征与油气聚集规律——以渤海油田旅大6构造为例

旅大6构造是渤海海域新近发现的一个中型油田.该构造位于辽东低凸起中南段陡坡带,为层状构造油气藏,垂向上多层系含油,形成典型的“阶梯式”陡坡带复式油气藏.走滑作用对构造形成、储层发育、断层封堵、油气运移都有重要的作用.构造转折端对沉积卸载形成优质储层具有重要作用,奠定了旅大6构造是辽东低凸起中南段有利成藏区的物质基础;辽中一号断层与区域走滑断层同向,具有走滑压扭性质是控圈断层侧封的关键.南北区块以及东二下段、东三段油气丰度迥异,伸展断层的运移能力和控圈断层的封堵能力共同决定了旅大6构造南区东二下段油气的差异富集成藏.     

Geologic control of natural marine hydrocarbon seep emissions, Coal Oil Point seep field, California

High-resolution sonar surveys, and a detailed subsurface model constructed from 3D seismic and well data allowed investigation of the relationship between the subsurface geology and gas-phase (methane) seepage for the Coal Oil Point (COP) seep field, one of the world’s largest and best-studied marine oil and gas seep fields, located over a producing hydrocarbon reservoir near Santa Barbara, California. In general, the relationship between terrestrial gas seepage, migration pathways, and hydrocarbon reservoirs has been difficult to assess, in part because the detection and mapping of gas seepage is problematic. For marine seepage, sonar surveys are an effective tool for mapping seep gas bubbles, and thus spatial distributions. Seepage in the COP seep field occurs in an east–west-trending zone about 3–4 km offshore, and in another zone about 1–2 km from shore. The farthest offshore seeps are mostly located near the crest of a major fold, and also along the trend of major faults. Significantly, because faults observed to cut the fold do not account for all the observed seepage, seepage must occur through fracture and joint systems that are difficult to detect, including intersecting faults and fault damage zones. Inshore seeps are concentrated within the hanging wall of a major reverse fault. The subsurface model lacks the resolution to identify specific structural sources in that area. Although to first order the spatial distribution of seeps generally is related to the major structures, other factors must also control their distribution. The region is known to be critically stressed, which would enhance hydraulic conductivity of favorably oriented faults, joints, and bedding planes. We propose that this process explains much of the remaining spatial distribution.     

Fluid flow in the South Eugene Island area,offshore Louisiana: results of numerical simulations

Numerical simulations of heat and fluid transport in the South Eugene Island (SEI) area, offshore Louisiana, suggest fluids migrate from deep, abnormally pressured sediments, along fault zones, and into overlying oil and gas reservoirs. In the simulations, fluid flow along the fault produces a narrow thermal anomaly around the fault. A negative thermal anomaly forms adjacent to the thermal maximum when permeable sediments dip away from the fault zone. In the simulations, this negative thermal anomaly dissipates 100–200 years after it forms. The presence of a similar negative thermal anomaly in the SEI area suggests that fluid movement in the area is a recent event. The observation that the thermal maximum in the study area is not centered about the fault zone further suggests that the primary vertical conduit for fluid flow in the SEI area is not a major fault but minor splay faults in the hanging wall.     

Tracing the middle strand of the North Anatolian Fault Zone through the southern Sea of Marmara based on seismic reflection studies

We studied the active deformation zone of the middle strand of the North Anatolian Fault Zone through the southern part of the Sea of Marmara by means of high-resolution as well as deep seismic reflection data. Our main objective was to investigate the active deformation within the uppermost sedimentary layers at high resolution as well as deeper sedimentary layers, focusing on the tectonic and stratigraphic setting between Gemlik and Bandırma. The middle strand of the North Anatolian Fault reaching the Gulf of Gemlik is a main fault which has a lazy-S shape in the Gulf of Gemlik, and extends westwards to Bandırma as a main fault which is an E–W-trending single right-lateral fault controlling the zone along the Gemlik and Bandırma sub-basins. Small-scale faults, consistent with a dextral shear regime, are present in the vicinity of the main fault. Several oblique fault groups parallel to the main fault were detected. The deformation in the Gulf of Gemlik is characterized by a series of synthetic and antithetic faults emanating from the main fault. The boundary faults in the Gulf of Gemlik have a compressive component, which indicates the sill areas of the gulfs of Gemlik and Bandırma to be push-up structures. Four seismic stratigraphic units were identified in the sediments of the gulfs of Gemlik and Bandırma, providing evidence of tectonic influence. The present tectonic structure between Gemlik and Bandırma is not a pull-apart structure. The microseismic study in this area has shown that fault planes are either strike-slip or compressional, and that the stress tensor is compatible with pure strike-slip in the E–W fault system.     

Sedimentary fluids/fault interaction during syn-rift burial of the Lodève Permian Basin (Hérault,France): An example of seismic-valve mechanism in active extensional faults

During basin burial, interstitial fluids initially trapped within the sedimentary pile easily move under thermal and pressure gradients. As the main mechanism is linked to fluid overpressure, such fluids play a significant role on frictional mechanics for fault reactivation and sediment deformation.The Lodève Permian Basin (Hérault, France) is an exhumed half-graben with exceptional outcrop conditions providing access to barite-sulfide mineralized systems and hydrocarbon trapped into syn-rift roll-over faults. Architectural studies show a cyclic infilling of fault zone and associated bedding-parallel veins according to three main fluid events during dextral/normal faulting. Contrasting fluid entrapment conditions are deduced from textural analysis, fluid inclusion microthermometry and sulfur isotope geothermometer. We conclude that a polyphase history of trapping occurred during Permian syn-rift formation of the basin.The first stage is characterized by an implosion breccia cemented by silicifications and barite during an abrupt pressure drop within fault zone. This mechanism is linked to the dextral strike-slip motion on faults and leads to a first sealing of the fault zone by basinal fluid mineralization.The second stage consists of a succession of barite ribbons precipitated under overpressure fluctuations, derived from fault-valve action. This corresponds to periodic reactivations of fault planes and bedding-controlled opening localized at sulphide-rich micro-shearing structures showing a normal movement. This process formed the main mineralized ore bodies by the single action of fluid overpressure fluctuations undergoing changes in local stress distribution.The last stage is associated with the formation of dextral strike-slip pull-apart infilled by large barite and contemporaneous hydrocarbons under suprahydrostatic pressure values. This final tectonic activation of fault is linked to late basinal fluids and hydrocarbon migration during which shear stress restoration on the fault plane is faster than fluid pressure build-up.This integrated study shows the interplay action between tectonic stress and fluid overpressure in fault reactivation during basin burial that clearly impact potential economic reservoirs.     

Cenozoic structural deformation and dynamic processes of the Bohai Bay basin province,China

Cenozoic structures in the Bohai Bay basin province can be subdivided into eleven extensional systems and three strike-slip systems. The extensional systems consist of normal faults and transfer faults. The normal faults predominantly trend NNE and NE, and their attitudes vary in different tectonic settings. Paleogene rifting sub-basins were developed in the hanging walls of the normal faults that were most likely growth faults. Neogene–Quaternary sequences were deposited in both the rifting sub-basins and horsts to form a unified basin province. The extensional systems were overprinted by three NNE-trending, right-lateral strike-slip systems (fault zones). Although the principal displacement zones (PDZ) of the strike-slip fault zones are developed only in the basement and lower basin sequences in some cross sections, the structural deformation characteristics of the upper basin sequences also indicate that they are basement-involved, right-lateral strike-slip fault zones. According to the relationships between faults and sedimentary sequences, the extensional systems were mainly developed from the middle Paleocene to the late Oligocene, whereas the strike-slip systems were mainly developed from the Oligocene to the Miocene. Strike-slip deformation was intensified as extensional deformation was weakened. Extensional deformation was derived from horizontal tension induced by upwelling of hot mantle material, whereas strike-slip deformation was probably related to a regional stress field induced by plate movement.     

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

Faults play an intricate role in hydrocarbon migration and accumulation since they can serve either as a conduit or a seal. Quantitative evaluation of fault opening/sealing properties requires the selection of valid and optimal parameters among numerous geological factors to characterize the hydraulic behaviors of faults. The present study focuses on the Chengbei Step-Fault Area in the Qikou Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, NE China, because hydrocarbon migration and accumulation in this area occurred in a relatively short period so that accumulated hydrocarbons can be used as an indicator to deduce hydraulic connectivity of a fault zone between two sites. Various geological parameters pertinent to a fault, such as burial depth, dip angle, throw, strike, percentage of sandstone of faulted intervals, fluid pressure in faulted mudstone, stress normal to the fault plane, and shale gouge ratio, are analyzed to assess their effectiveness in characterizing fault connectivity. An index, the fault-connectivity probability (N_p), is proposed to evaluate the possibility that a fault has been once serving as a migration pathway. The statistical relationship between N_p and any a geological parameter may be used to indicate the effectiveness of this parameter in characterizing the connectivity of a fault during hydrocarbon migration. The correlation coefficient of a relationship is a good indicator of the effectiveness; and the results are generally in agreement with qualitative assessments. Parameters representing a single geological factor are generally ineffective, whereas those representing implicitly or explicitly two or more factors, such as shale gouge ratio, stress normal to the fault plane, and fault opening index, are more effective.     

Quantification of mass transfers and mineralogical transformations in a thrust fault (Monte Perdido thrust unit,southern Pyrenees,Spain)

In fold-and-thrust belts, shortening is mainly accommodated by thrust faults which are preferential zones for recrystallisation and mass transfer. This study focuses on a detachment fault related to the emplacement of the Monte Perdido thrust unit in the southern Pyrenees. The studied fault zone consists of a 10 m thick intensively foliated phyllonite developed within the Millaris marls, of Eocene age. The lithological homogeneity of the hanging wall and footwall allows us to compare the Millaris marls outside the fault zone with the highly deformed marls located in the fault zone and to quantify the chemical, mineralogical and volumetric changes related to deformation processes along the fault.The Millaris marls are composed of detrital quartz, illite, chlorite, minor albite and pyrite, in a micritic calcite matrix. In the fault zone, the cleavage planes are marked by clay minerals and calcite ± chlorite veins attest to fluid–mineral interactions during deformation.The mineral proportions in all samples from both the fault zone and Millaris marls have been quantified by two methods: (1) X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement, and (2) bulk chemical analyses as well as microprobe analyses to calculate modal composition. The excellent agreement between the results of these two methods allows us to estimate mineralogical variations using a modification of the Gresens' equation. During fault activation, up to 45 wt% of calcite was lost while the amounts of quartz and chlorite remained unchanged. Illite content remained constant to slightly enriched. The mineralogical variations were coupled with a significant volume loss (up to 45%) mostly due to the dissolution of micritic calcite grains. Deformation was accompanied by pressure solution and phyllosilicates recrystallisation. These processes accommodated slip along the fault. They required fluids as catalyst, but they did not necessitate major chemical transfers.     

松南十屋断陷深层油气成藏条件与模式研究

十屋断陷是断坳叠置的复合盆地，充填了巨厚的断陷地层。其深部地层包括登娄库组、营城组、沙河子组以及火石岭组。在十屋断陷深部沉积了沙河子组-营城组和登娄库组两套烃源岩和良好的储盖层组合；由于断陷构造运动，形成大量的断裂构造和不整合面，构成了油气运移的有效通道，同时还形成有效断裂、断鼻构造圈闭以及不整合圈闭。综合分析认为，十屋断陷深部具有有利油气成藏生储盖组合。主要有下生上储式、自生自储式和上生下储式三种成藏模式。     

莱州湾西构造带断裂特征及其对油气成藏的控制

受古近纪莱州湾凹陷大规模断陷、郯庐断裂右旋走滑和垦东凸起大规模隆升三方面因素共同作用,莱州湾西构造带断裂系统发育,根据断裂性质及发育规模将断裂划分为3组不同方向的断裂组合,对油气的运移、聚集及保存都产生重要影响。根据莱州湾地区油气成藏规律并结合渤海其他区域近年勘探成果综合分析,莱北1号断层、斜坡区东西向反向正断层和走滑末端雁行式断层三类大规模调节断层对于油气成藏影响作用较大,这三类断层所控制的圈闭也是莱州湾凹陷及围区下一步勘探获得突破的重点区域。