Shales of the Cleveland Basin: a multi-disciplinary field trip to understand the depositional systems, diagenesis and natural fracturing
Shale-rich sequences can act as source rocks, seals or unconventional reservoirs. Understanding the geology of shale-rich sequences is critical to the success of traditional and unconventional petroleum plays and has attracted increased interest as a result of the shale gas revolution. Our understanding of shale-rich systems is still in its infancy. Traditional models suggest most…
Read More3D characterization of fracture systems using Terrestrial Laser Scanning: an example from the Lewisian basement of NW Scotland
PSGD Discussion Session: Fracture Corridors
Quantitatively understanding the imprint of fractures in the seismic wave-field.
Natural fractures in a United Kingdom shale reservoir analog, Cleveland Basin, northeast England
Faults and fractures within the well-exposed Lower Jurassic Cleveland Ironstone and Whitby Mudstone Formations may provide insights into the tectonic history of gas-prospective, Mississippian shale in northern England. Subvertical opening mode fractures occur throughout the Cleveland Basin. Bed-parallel fractures, some of which contain blocky calcite fills, occur preferentially within well-bedded, clay-rich mudstones of the Cleveland…
Read MoreUnderstanding the imprint of fractures in the seismic wave-field.
Minimising Risk in Fractured Reservoirs using Outcrop Analogues
Outcrop analogues play a vital role in the characterization of fractured reservoirs. Field-based studies are typically the most reliable way for fracture systems to be comprehensively quantified at sub-seismic scale, and allow the direct validation of fracture attributes derived from analysis of satellite imagery, aerial photos, core, and borehole image logs. Using outcrop examples of…
Read MoreUtilising Outcrop Analogues to Understand Natural Fracture Systems in Shales
In unconventional hydrocarbon plays, shales can act as a seal, source rock and reservoir. Characterising the geometry and kinematics of natural fracture systems within shales is a critical step in understanding reservoir geomechanics, optimising well plans, and predicting induced seismicity. Because data from boreholes are inherently sparse and of limited spatial extent, and since fracturing…
Read MoreMulti-scale nature of fracture properties: outcrop to satellite scales
Fracture networks observed at multiple scales, from thin section to satellite images, often show power-law distributions describing many of their properties across these scales. In this study fractures are measured from outcrop, terrestrial lidar, and satellite data spanning six orders of length-scale magnitude. Careful consideration of sampling methods was undertaken for each collection technique, as…
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