Industrial Structural Geology: Principles, Techniques and Integration

The practical application of structural geology in industry is varied and diverse; it is relevant at all scales, from plate-wide screening of new exploration areas down to fluid-flow behaviour along individual fractures. From an industry perspective, good structural practice is essential since it feeds into the quantification and recovery of reserves and ultimately underpins commercial investment choices. Many of the fundamental structural principles and techniques used by industry can be traced back to the academic community, and this volume aims to provide insights into how structural theory translates into industry practice.
Papers in this publication describe case studies and workflows that demonstrate applied structural geology, covering a spread of topics including trap definition, fault seal, fold-and-thrust belts, fractured reservoirs, fluid flow and geomechanics. Against a background of evolving ideas, new data types and advancing computational tools, the volume highlights the need for structural geologists to constantly re-evaluate the role they play in solving industrial challenges.
A method for characterizing basement rocks from borehole images
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Published:January 01, 2015
Abstract
Basement rocks tend to have negligible primary (rock matrix) porosity and, where present, almost all porosity is fracture-related. An insight into fracture type and distribution is therefore of importance when attempting to predict potential flow zones in hydrocarbon reservoirs. In the absence of core, borehole images provide a proven means of characterizing fractures within basement rocks. This paper will concentrate upon the classification and characterization of basement structural elements, including fractures, faults and breccias, versus lithological elements, such as foliations and intrusion boundaries from borehole images. In addition, suggestions of how to differentiate present-day in-situ stress indicators from natural...
- acoustical logging
- Arabian Peninsula
- Asia
- basement
- boreholes
- breccia
- data acquisition
- data processing
- density logging
- distribution
- faults
- foliation
- fractures
- geophysical methods
- hydrocarbon indicators
- image analysis
- in situ
- intrusions
- joints
- matrix
- methods
- oil wells
- open fractures
- petrofabrics
- petrology
- porosity
- reservoir rocks
- seismic methods
- source rocks
- spalling
- statistical analysis
- stratigraphic units
- stress
- structural analysis
- style
- tectonics
- vugs
- well logs
- well-logging
- Yemen
- microresistivity
- potential flow zones