North Oman fault geometries in outcrops, analogues and subsurface

Abstract

Abstract North Oman offers a rare opportunity for making outcrop observations of faults developed in carbonate formations that are also producing reservoirs in the subsurface. It is possible to look in great detail at fault geometries and associated fault damage zones, both in map view and cross-sections. These observations allow the establishment of geometrical concepts and rules to be established that allow the interpretation of seismic faults and the building of coherent static models. This paper highlights how the combination of the input from outcrops, a database of sandbox analogue models and high quality seismic data enables the development of conceptual geometrical models of faults. These conceptual geometrical models support interpretation and modelling strategies and workflows for the construction of geo-cellular models. In the first part of this paper, the challenge faced by the geo-modeller is described. A description of the vertical segmentation of faults in cross-section is provided. A summary of these observations is sketched as a series of 3D block diagrams. Finally, the mechanisms of fault initiation and growth through time reviewed to highlight the particular 3D segmented nature of faults in carbonate.