The Role of Spaced Cleavage on the Porosity and Permeability within a Reservoir Unit: ABSTRACT

Abstract

Tectonic deformation plays a significant role in both the enhancement and degradation of the porosity and permeability within a reservoir unit. Enhancing mechanisms generally include fracturing and brecciation, whereas reducing mechanisms include cataclasis and pressure solution. Spaced cleavage is common within argillaceous limestone in foreland fold and thrust belts, including the Sawtooth Range, Montana. The presence of spaced cleavage will have a significant impact on both the permeability and porosity within a reservoir. Spaced cleavage is formed by pressure solution, where calcite is dissolved as a tectonic stress is applied. As the calcite is being removed, relatively insoluble minerals, predominately clay and quartz, are concentrated along the dissolution sites and form thin domains. The minerals within these domains are compacted and aligned perpendicular to the direction of maximum stress. Due to the nature of the aligned minerals, fluid flow will be restricted across these domains, creating severe reservoir anisotropy within the unit. Once the calcite has been dissolved, it must re-precipitate out. This will generally occur in the pores and open fractures present in the cleaved unit, significantly reducing the porosity present in the reservoir rock. However, if the cleavage has been folded during a later deformational event, these domains,more » which represent weaknesses in the rock, could open up around the crests of folds and provide a pathway for increased fluid migration parallel to the cleavage trend.« less