Rodriguez del Angel, Ulises de Jesus (2021) Prediction of sub-seismic faulting and fracturing in Mesozoic carbonate rocks, Southern Gulf of Mexico. PhD thesis, University of Leeds.
Abstract
Currently, a large proportion of conventional oil reserves are contained within hydrocarbon systems primarily composed of naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs. Natural fractures result from the complex interaction between multiple geological factors and may enhance reservoir permeability by facilitating oil and gas flow. The Southern Gulf of Mexico is an area with important naturally fractured Mesozoic carbonate reservoirs as well as new prospective areas that need to be assessed in order to maximize hydrocarbon exploration. A key limitation is how to predict more accurately fracture orientation and density in undrilled areas.
This study proposes a multidisciplinary methodology intended to predict natural fracturing in carbonate reservoirs that can be applied at early stages of the hydrocarbon exploration process. This methodology combines geological and geophysical tools and techniques such as seismic interpretation, 2D structural restoration, geometrical seismic attribute analysis, well data analysis and numerical modelling (fracture modelling).
Orientations of modelled fractures show a good correlation with orientations of lineaments observed in mapped surfaces and depth slices where ant-tracking attribute was applied as well as with orientations measured in FMI and core samples. Regarding to fracture intensity, a good degree of correlation is observed between Maximum Coulomb Shear Stress (MCSS) and modelled strain distribution, which are two parameters used as a proxy for fracture intensity. Likewise, there is a moderate to good degree of correlation between MCSS and fracture intensity obtained from borehole data.
These results indicate that a combination of fracture modelling, structural seismic attributes and geomechanical modelling has a good potential to estimate location, orientation and intensity of medium-scale fracture sets in areas where borehole data is scarce or null. Reliability of these estimations depends mainly on the amount and quality of borehole data, quality of seismic data as well as complexity of structural geology; in the case of fracture orientation, the estimation is of quantitative nature whereas for fracture intensity, the estimation is rather qualitative.
Metadata
Supervisors: | Mortimer, Estelle and Paton, Douglas |
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Awarding institution: | University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Earth and Environment (Leeds) > Earth Sciences (Leeds) |
Identification Number/EthosID: | uk.bl.ethos.826767 |
Depositing User: | Mr Ulises de Jesus Rodriguez del Angel |
Date Deposited: | 24 Mar 2021 15:51 |
Last Modified: | 11 May 2021 09:53 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:etheses.whiterose.ac.uk:28362 |
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