Abstract
We illustrate recently developed techniques of three-dimensional (3-D) geomechanical structural restoration applied to resolve the kinematics of deformation in the sedimentary cover above mobile salt. Our study area is one of the hydrocarbon-bearing domes in eastern Arabia. We used 3-D seismic reflection and well data to build a 3-D structural geomodel for the well-imaged part of the sedimentary cover. The geomodel includes faults and a 3.2-km (2-mi) thick section of Permian to Cenozoic sediments and is restored from the Jurassic to the present day. The development of the structures is characterized by stages of normal faulting in the Jurassic and Cretaceous and a subsequent stage of low-amplitude folding in the Late Cretaceous. We interpret that the development of the structures in the sediment cover is caused by the movement of a deep, nonpiercing salt pillow. The structures grew under the control of gradually changing deforming mechanisms, from dominantly faulting to folding. The transition from normal faulting to domal folding is indicative of a reactive salt diapir. These restoration results improve our understanding about the kinematic history of the structures developed within the Jurassic and Cretaceous sedimentary section, which contains most of the hydrocarbon resources in Arabia. Moreover, they illustrate the potential of geomechanical restoration methods to investigate structures above mobile salt systems.
Highlights
Characterization of subsurface structures requires the integration of data and interpretations in a three-dimensional (3-D) modeling framework, with consideration of how the structure developed over geologic time
Our goal is to assess if the restoration techniques can recover viable deformation kinematics, resolve the relative contributions of folding and faulting in the growth of the structure, and infer indirectly the history of salt motion
We focused the analysis on three faults out of the seven included in the geomodel and structural restorations (Figure 6)
Summary
Characterization of subsurface structures requires the integration of data and interpretations in a three-dimensional (3-D) modeling framework, with consideration of how the structure developed over geologic time. Manuscript received November 18, 2014; provisional acceptance February 5, 2015; revised manuscript received June 12, 2015; final acceptance August 17, 2015. His work experience includes geomodeling of rock fractures, structural geology, and hydrocarbon reservoir characterization and simulation. He obtained an M.S. degree in geosciences from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2012. He was a visiting scholar with the Structural Geology Group of Harvard University in 2012
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