Conceptual fracture network model of the crystalline basement of the Szeghalom Dome (Pannonian Basin, SE Hungary)

Abstract

Fractured fluid reservoirs are of key importance for recovering water and hydrocarbon supplies and geothermal energy, or in predicting the subsurface flow of pollutants. There are several fractured metamorphic-basement HC reservoirs in the Pannonian Basin; one of the largest among them is the Szeghalom Dome in SE Hungary. Previous production and fluid inclusion data infer that in this case several unconnected fluid regimes must coexist in the basement, making modeling of the fracture network essential. Because the representative volume of a fractured rock mass is usually too large to measure hydraulic properties directly, stochastic calculations should be carried out, which are consistent with observed deformation history and stochastic patterns. Input statistical data (orientation, length, distribution, fractal dimension for fracture seeds) were determined for amphibolite and gneiss samples representing the Szeghalom Dome. Data were measured simultaneously using binocular microscope and computerized X-ra...