Static and Dynamic Fault Seal Potential in Carbonates

Abstract

Constraining the seal potential of faults in carbonates will undoubtedly be more complicated than with faulted clastics due to the greater chemical reactivity of carbonates, and will require integration of geochemistry/diagenesis and structural geology. Nevertheless, rules to predict fault seal potential in carbonates must be developed since the lack of an ability to quantitatively risk carbonate fault seal hinders estimates of in place hydrocarbon volumes (is an unpenetrated fault block likely to be filled?) and well development plans (what values of fault transmissibility or permeability anisotropy can be expected; how many wells will be required?. The need to develop the ability to characterize seal potential of faults in carbonates in the near future is highlighted by three observations: 1) Carbonate reservoirs that are defined at least part by faults are common and have a global distribution; 2) There is a growing number of carbonate-carbonate juxtapositions that appear to be sealing over geologic and/or production time scales; 3) There are a number of processes by which faults in carbonates can develop seal potential.