Vertical Fluid Flow Research Articles

Making sense of the L-shaped pore pressure ramps in Brunei: Compression-induced vertical fluid flow in the basin and its impact on the petroleum system

Making sense of the L-shaped pore pressure ramps in Brunei: Compression-induced vertical fluid flow in the basin and its impact on the petroleum system

Dynamic Simulation of the Stability of Annular Flows in Gas Wells

This paper provides a holistic view of the development and progression of multiphase gas-liquid annular flow in gas wells. With the help of a momentum balance, the stability of a fully developed annular flow is defined. The Euler-Euler model was used to model the multiphase flow system, while the Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) model was used to depict a time-dependent solution for a vertical fluid flow system, considering acceleration due to gravity and fluid compressibility. The resultant flow regime was tested for stability by gradually reducing the field velocity of flow and observing the effects using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. The principal parameters considered are the superficial gas velocity and liquid film flow rate. The properties of the region where the flow becomes unstable are documented and related to the incidence of liquid loading in a typical gas well. The effect are critically observed and compared to flow regimes at lower superficial gas velocity. The resultant flow regime configurations are analyzed and compared to the annular flow system. This study will help researchers understand the behaviour of gas wells that have potential in developing liquid loading problems and the movement of liquid film on the wall of the tubing when in annular flow regime.

Dynamic evolution of gas hydrate systems affected by magmatism and Quaternary mass-transport deposits in the Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea, and implications for the global carbon cycle

Methane release from hydrate systems has long been considered as one of the important mechanisms for global carbon cycle perturbations and ocean acidification. Here, a Quaternary active gas hydrate system in Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea (SCS), has been analyzed by using seismic, logging while drilling (LWD), and core data. The results show that post-rift magmatism led to the reactivation of a magma diapir, and the faults and fractures related to its emplacement created efficient pathways for deep gas migration. The increase in overburden temperature and circulation of deep thermal fluids, especially in the center of the diapir area, thinned the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ). The accumulation of natural gas at the base of GHSZ and the thinning of GHSZ decreased the ability of hydrate bearing sediments to seal free gas and lead to hydraulic fracturing. The free gas entering the GHSZ was buried by mass transport deposits (MTDs) and then formed hydrates due to the overlying compaction and so further sealed the free gas under the GHSZ. This study indicates that two contrasting mechanisms are acting: (1) tectonic activity and magmatism favor the release of deep natural gas which may reach the ocean, (2) MTDs and the overlying compacted sections act as seals, inhibiting the release of such gas to the ocean. This study shows how the seal capacity of MTDs may reduce methane release from deep-seated reservoirs into the ocean. Given their widespread distribution along continental margins, we suggest that the impact of MTDs on vertical fluid flow, and potential consequences for ocean chemistry and the global carbon cycle, might be underestimated.

Constraints on ground deformation processes at the Tulu Moye volcanic complex, Main Ethiopian Rift

Tulu Moye is an actively deforming volcanic complex with a geothermal field in the Main Ethiopian Rift. We use InSAR between 2014 and 2022, integrated with other geophysical data, to investigate the temporal and spatial characteristics of the deformation signal in the area, and to model its source. Velocity maps and time series analysis show a deformation signal consistent with uplift at a velocity of up to 50 mm/yr in the satellite Line-of-Sight (LOS) in 2014–2017, then decreasing to 12 mm/yr until 2022. The centre of deformation is located about 10 km west of a main geothermal drilling site at Tulu Moye, between the Bora, Berecha, and Tulu Moye volcanoes, with a NW-SE elongation direction. Our best-fit model suggests that the deformation is caused by an 8.7 km by 1.2 km sill situated ∼7.7 km below the surface (∼5.9 km below sea-level), elongate in the N54°W direction and dipping S11°W, and experienced an average velocity of volume change of ∼8.9 × 106 m3/yr in 2014–2017. The surface projection of the sill overlaps with local transverse faults and hydrothermal manifestations. The sill is ∼1–2 km below clusters of microseismic swarms and a region of high resistivity, both indicating hydrothermal fluid flow. The location and geometry of the sill correlates with the upper edge of high conductivity interpreted as a zone of partial melt, and we therefore attribute the uplift at the Tulu Moye volcanic complex to inflow of magma in the sill. We also suggest that the transverse caldera rims faults may restrict magma flow, and also facilitate both vertical and lateral hydrothermal fluid flow.

Geology and Structural Evolution of the La Huifa Ore Deposit, Central Chile: A Newly Discovered Porphyry Cu-Mo System in the El Teniente District

Abstract La Huifa is a breccia-related Cu-Mo porphyry deposit located in the Andes of central Chile, 3 km northeast of the giant El Teniente porphyry Cu-Mo orebody. It was discovered as part of CODELCO’s (Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile) brownfield exploration activities in the El Teniente district. It is the first major discovery in the area, and this work presents its first detailed geologic description. The La Huifa orebody is related to a complex of late Miocene diorite and granodiorite intrusions and hydrothermal breccias, the latter characterized by abundant tourmaline-anhydrite cement, emplaced in middle to late Miocene volcanic and subvolcanic rocks. The structural architecture of La Huifa is dominated by WNW-and NE-striking high angle faults. Usually, slip on the WNW-striking faults involves a sinistral component, whereas slip on the NE-striking faults is predominantly dextral. The main hydrothermal breccia body at La Huifa is located at the intersection of WNW- and NE-striking faults. Four stages are proposed for the tectono-magmatic-hydrothermal evolution of La Huifa:Premineralization, involving tourmaline-albite veins and sodic calcic alteration emplaced under a transpressive tectonic regime with a subhorizontal, ~E-W–trending σ1 (~N-S–trending σ3);Early mineralization, involving a polydirectional vein system associated with poorly developed potassic and transitional alteration zones with a scarce presence of Cu and Mo sulfides;Main mineralization, involving Cu- and Mo-rich anhydrite-tourmaline hydrothermal breccias and polydirectional veins associated with strong chlorite-sericite alteration with a 270° to 290°C emplacement temperature, obtained from chlorite geothermometry. The regional stress field during this period was exceeded by the local fluid pressure. These breccias and veins are followed by the emplacement of NE-striking C and D type veins associated with gray and white sericite alteration, respectively, which show a similar temperature range.Late mineralization, involving a NE-striking, carbonate-rich vein system containing polymetallic sulfides. It is associated with argillic alteration, whose temperature was 200° to 260°C. This stage occurred under a compressive tectonic regime with NE-trending σ1. The relatively low temperature at which mineralization was introduced in this deposit (~270°–290°C) and the predominantly vertical fluid flow pattern typical of hydrothermal breccia systems allow us to infer the presence of more mineralized rock at depth, below the recognized portion of the system. The association of Cu and Mo enrichment with chlorite-sericite alteration, instead of higher-temperature potassic or gray sericite alteration events, makes La Huifa a unique case among the porphyry deposits of central Chile and broadens the scope of mineralization styles that could be targeted in this belt. Finally, the intersection of arc-oblique, high-angle faults and, in particular, the presence of fault systems orthogonal to the main compression direction, favorable for magma storage and differentiation and metal concentration, constitute a valuable tool for exploring porphyry Cu deposits in similar geologic contexts.

Controls on Timing of Hydrothermal Fluid Flow in South-Central Kansas, North-Central Oklahoma, and the Tri-State Mineral District

Paleozoic sedimentary rocks in the southern midcontinent of the United States have been affected by multiple events of deformation and fluid flow, resulting in petroleum migration, thermal alteration, Mississippi Valley-type mineralization, and a complex diagenetic history. This record is a hidden history of how cratonal settings respond to tectonic and non-tectonic drivers. The aim of this contribution is to better understand the controls on fluid migration in Paleozoic strata to evaluate whether hydrothermal activity is forced by tectonic or non-tectonic processes. This paper summarizes and vets the distribution of published dates related to thermal events in the southern midcontinent. In addition, we present new U-Pb dates obtained by laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) on calcite cements that were formed from hydrothermal fluids. These are from three samples from the Berexco Wellington KGS 1-32 core in Sumner County, Kansas; an ore sample from the Tri-State Mineral District, Neck City, Missouri; and a core sample from the Blackbird 4-33 well in Osage County, Oklahoma. Previous studies of these calcite samples provided evidence for hydrothermal fluid flow, with one of the Wellington samples possibly recording vertical hydrothermal fluid flow out of the basement. The sample from the Tri-State Mineral District (Missouri) yields a mid-Cretaceous age of 115.6±3.1 Ma. This age falls into the timing of the Sevier Orogeny along the west coast and the development of its foreland basin in the midcontinent. Calcites from the Mississippian interval in the Wellington KGS 1-32 core yield dates of 305±10.5 Ma and 305.1±9.1 Ma. Calcite in Mississippian strata from the Blackbird 4-33 core yields a date of 308.6±2.5 Ma. These dates from Mississippian calcite cements indicate hydrothermal fluid flow in the Late Pennsylvanian that coincides with the timing of the Marathon-Ouachita Orogeny or the Ancestral Rocky Mountains Orogeny. A calcite sample from the Ordovician Arbuckle Group from the Berexco Wellington KGS 1-32 core yielded an age of 5.6±1.6 Ma, coinciding with a time after high elevation uplift of the Rocky Mountains was already far advanced. We propose that this hydrothermal fluid flow may have been associated with increased meteoric recharge and increased regional fluid pressure in a basement aquifer that activated local seismic events far into the continental interior. The distribution of ages of hydrothermal fluid flow confirms a syntectonic driver during the Ouachita Orogeny and Ancestral Rocky Mountains Orogeny deformation. Continuation of hydrothermal fluid flow well into the Permian and tailing off early in the Triassic indicates a post-tectonic driver, where uplifted areas continued to provide the recharge from gravity-driven fluid flow, until the mountains were mostly beveled by the early part of the Triassic. A dearth of Triassic and Jurassic hydrothermal events suggests Gulf of Mexico rifting and extension were less important. Rejuvenation of hydrothermal fluid flow in the Cretaceous and continuing into the Paleogene indicates that elevation and regional flexure from both the Sevier and Laramide events continued to drive hydrothermal fluid flow far from the main sites of mountainous uplift and deformation. Finally, hydrothermal fluid flow associated with more recent uplift of the Rocky Mountains may have been activated by recharge events that pressurized a regional basement aquifer and triggered seismic activity.

Natural convection and pattern interaction in a two-dimensional vertical slot

Laminar natural convection is investigated in an infinite vertical slot which has one wall with a corrugated profile, and which is subject to either a uniform or periodic heating profile. This configuration has the attractive feature that it enables a study of the effects that may be produced via the interaction of heating and topography patterns. It is found that the addition of the grooves to an isothermal plate leads to a reduction in the vertical fluid flow and an increase of the transverse heat flow. In contrast, imposing sinusoidal heating on a flat surface generates convection that appears as counter-rotating rolls but there is no net vertical flow. The combination of the two effects of corrugation together with periodic heating leads to a plethora of flow patterns involving a combination of rolls and stream tubes that carry the fluid along the slot. The details of this vertical flow are governed by a pattern interaction effect dictated by the relative positions of the heating and corrugation patterns; when hot spots of the imposed heating overlap the peaks in the grooves the net flow is upward; in contrast, when they lie over the troughs the resultant flow is downward. The interplay between the thermal and geometrical effects weakens as the wavelength of the structure is reduced. The inclusion of a sufficiently strong uniform heating also seems to wash away the pattern interaction effect.

Relationship between stylolite morphology and the sealing potential of stylolite-bearing carbonate cap rocks

AbstractWe analyzed the sealing effectiveness of cap rocks bearing different types of stylolites using a combination of petrographic, petrophysical, pore structure, and sealing capacity characterization techniques. This study was based on examples of carbonate cap rocks that seal ultradeep hydrocarbon reservoirs of the Tarim Basin (China). Samples from both drill cores and their outcrop analogues were investigated to quantify how morphology influences the sealing capacity of different types of stylolite-bearing rocks. The study cap rocks consisted of mudstone, wackestone to packstone, grainstone, and dolomitic limestone. Four types of stylolites were identified: rectangular layer, seismogram pinning, suture and sharp peak, and simple wave-like types. The difference in the sealing capacity of carbonate cap rocks is attributed to their pore structure connections and the types of stylolites they develop. Samples bearing simple wave-like stylolites showed the best sealing capacity, followed by those with rectangular layer and suture and sharp peak types, whereas carbonates hosting seismogram pinning types had the lowest sealing capacity. The impact of stylolite segments on the rock sealing properties, however, differed from one segment to another. Rectangular layer–type stylolites could be divided into three distinct segments (with good, moderate, and poor sealing, respectively). Both the seismogram pinning and suture and sharp peak stylolite types were divided in two parts, with the former one having moderate and poor sealing and the latter exhibiting good and moderate sealing. The simple wavelike type had a good sealing capacity all along the pressure-solution seam. The most effective sealing barriers for vertical fluid flow form when (1) calcite and siliceous cements are pervasively distributed in the vicinity of stylolites, forming highly cemented zones with lower porosity and permeability than their surrounding host rocks; (2) stylolites are enriched in insoluble residues; and (3) rare microfractures and dissolution vugs are found along the stylolites. This work provides useful examples for the prediction of the sealing potential of stylolite-bearing carbonate rocks according to stylolite morphology in other geologic settings.

Exact Solutions to Navier–Stokes Equations Describing a Gradient Nonuniform Unidirectional Vertical Vortex Fluid Flow

The paper announces a family of exact solutions to Navier–Stokes equations describing gradient inhomogeneous unidirectional fluid motions (nonuniform Poiseuille flows). The structure of the fluid motion equations is such that the incompressibility equation enables us to establish the velocity defect law for nonuniform Poiseuille flow. In this case, the velocity field is dependent on two coordinates and time, and it is an arbitrary-degree polynomial relative to the horizontal (longitudinal) coordinate. The polynomial coefficients depend on the vertical (transverse) coordinate and time. The exact solution under consideration was built using the method of indefinite coefficients and the use of such algebraic operations was for addition and multiplication. As a result, to determine the polynomial coefficients, we derived a system of simplest homogeneous and inhomogeneous parabolic partial equations. The order of integration of the resulting system of equations was recurrent. For a special case of steady flows of a viscous fluid, these equations are ordinary differential equations. The article presents an algorithm for their integration. In this case, all components of the velocity field, vorticity vector, and shear stress field are polynomial functions. In addition, it has been noted that even without taking into account the thermohaline convection (creeping current) all these fields have a rather complex structure.

Topological analysis of fault network in naturally fractured reservoirs: A case study from the pre-salt section of the Santos Basin, Brazil

The Santos Basin, located on the southeastern margin of Brazil, hosts giant hydrocarbon reserves of the pre-salt section that correspond to the carbonate sequences deposited during the syn-rift and transitional tectonic stages. The faults, which formed during the rift evolution, have proven to be crucial in controlling hydrocarbon accumulations and migration, not only as a pathway for fluid flow but as a factor controlling the deposition of sedimentary rocks. Thus, the topological analysis of fault networks is a key method to characterize the different fault sets, as it provides a way to describe the network arrangement of individual faults and their connectivity. In this work, the fault topology was analyzed in terms of nodes and branches for the main reservoir defined in the pre-salt section seismic units: Rift, Lower Barra Velha (Lower BVE), and Upper Barra Velha (Upper BVE). Four fault sets were characterized in these units with average orientations to NW-SE and E-W. The topology of this fault networks is characterized by single-phase rift network, featuring isolated systems with more than 50% of isolated branches and low connectivity (connections per branch being less than 0.5). The flow azimuth is NE-oriented, mostly oblique to the trend of the main faults, which suggests a low fault influence in the fluid flow. On the other hand, the paleotopographic highs developed during the Rift phase present the highest fault density and intensity, factors known to contribute to increased connectivity in reservoirs. A clear limitation of this type of study is the integration of the seismic-scale faults with high-frequency well log data, sparse but known to have great vertical resolution, and, in turn, assessing the vertical fluid flow, instead of lateral as is possible with this method. These limitations are to be known by one to apply this in other contexts. In this work, we seek to understand how the development of the rift fault system influences the generation of new fault sets, and fluid flow in a pre-salt carbonate reservoir.

THROUGHGOING FLUID-CONDUCTING STRUCTURES: CONCEPTUALIZATION, TERMINOLOGY, TYPES, PROPERTIES, AND THE ROLE IN FLUID CIRCULATION

In this paper the review and analysis of global data on throughgoing fluid-conducting structures is performed, the problematic issues of related concepts and terminology are considered, typification of structures by various criteria is proposed and their role in fluid circulation and in lithogenesis and evolution of sedimentary basins is accessed. Such structures are ubiquitous and are an integral part of the drainage system of the upper crust, although the intensity of their distribution and impact on fluid circulation vary widely and increase drastically in certain geological and geodynamic conditions. At the local and subregional scales, throughgoing structures and related phenomena show uneven, clustered distribution. The key role of throughgoing structures in fluid circulation, including the migration of hydrocarbons and pollutants, is determined by their intersecting and throughgoing nature with respect to layered inhomogeneities, including sealing (low permeability) horizons, and by usually much higher permeability than that of the host rocks. The vertical nature of structures and localized vertical fluid flow across lateral lithological and hydrodynamic boundaries cause the formation of thermal and geochemical anomalies and disequilibrium of the water-rock system, accompanied by the interaction of conduit fluids with host rocks and reservoirs and by alteration of the rocks that contain them. This determines the leading role of throuhgoing structures in superimposed lithogenesis and ore mineralization. The fluid conductivity of throughgoing structures is variable over time because it depends on their origin, stages of their formation and secondary changes. In this regard, the comparison of this ability between morphogenetic varieties of throughgoing structures is generally difficult, although the most effective in this respect are structures of karstic origin. For structures of fluidodynamic type, the greatest permeability and intensity of fluid flows through the conduits are characteristic of the periods of their formation and immediately after them, as well as of the periods of activation, which are usually associated with tectonic events.

Giant paleo-seafloor craters and mass wasting associated with magma-induced uplift of the upper crust

Giant seafloor craters are known along many a continental margin with recurrent mass-wasting deposits. However, the impact of breakup-related magmatism on the evolution of such craters is barely understood. Using high-quality geophysical datasets, this work examines the genetic relationship among the location of magmatic sills, forced folds and the formation of giant paleo-seafloor craters underneath an ancient mass-transport complex in the Møre and Vøring basins, offshore Norway. The data reveal that forced folding of near-seafloor strata occurred because of the intrusion of several interconnected magmatic sills. Estimates of 1-dimensional uplift based on well data show that uplift occurred due to the intrusion of magma in Upper Cretaceous to Lower Eocene strata. Our findings also prove that subsurface fluid plumbing associated with the magmatic sills was prolonged in time and led to the development of several vertical fluid flow conduits, some of which triggered mass wasting in Neogene to Recent times. The repeated vertical expulsion of subsurface fluids weakened the strata on the continental slope, thereby promoting mass wasting, the selective cannibalization of the paleo-seafloor, and the formation of elongated craters at the basal shear zone of the mass-transport complex. Significantly, the model presented here proves a close link between subsurface magmatic plumbing systems and mass wasting on continental margins.

A Global Review of Natural Leakage of Gases: Case Studies Representing Geological Factors Conducive to Vertical Fluid Flow.

A Global Review of Natural Leakage of Gases: Case Studies Representing Geological Factors Conducive to Vertical Fluid Flow.

Thrust Faults Promoted Hydrocarbon Leakage at the Compressional Zone of Fine-Grained Mass-Transport Deposits

Fine-grained mass-transport deposits (MTDs), especially their compressional toe zones, are traditionally considered as effective seal in constraining the vertical fluid migration underneath. However, this study documents thrust faults at the compressional toe zone of fine-grained MTDs that could disaggregate the seal competence and promote vertical fluid flow. The investigated MTD referred to as MTD-a lies directly over a large hydrocarbon reservoir that is located within the Central Canyon of northern South China Sea, which is examined by using high-resolution 3D seismic and borehole data. Thrust faults and irregular blocks composed of coarse-grained sandstones are observed in the compressional zone of the MTD-a’s toe. More importantly, seismic evidence (e.g., enhanced seismic reflections) suggests that a large amount of hydrocarbons from the underlying reservoir penetrated through the MTD-a along these thrust faults and charged into the coarse-grained sandstone blocks. This clear evidence of thrust faults compromising the MTD’s seal effectiveness and thus facilitating the vertical fluid flow through the non-permeable strata demonstrate the importance of reassessing the seal capacity of MTD.

Thermal analysis of a novel retarder by using the nanofluid cooling system: Numerical and experimental approaches

AbstractTo solve the problem of braking torque decline or even brake failure of vehicle retarders caused by high temperature due to long‐time or high‐power braking, the nanofluid with high thermal conductivity is introduced into the previously proposed novel retarder. To evaluate the nanofluid cooling capabilities, a model depicting the vertical fluid flow in the retarder is formulated. Adopting similarity transformations and a shooting method coupled with Runge–Kutta iterative technology, the model boundary value problem is tackled numerically. The cooling capabilities of three typical ethylene glycol (EG)‐based nanofluids: Cu–EG, Al2O3–EG, and TiO2–EG are investigated and compared. Finally, an experimental test is carried out to examine the temperature rise and the variation of braking torque for the retarder. It is demonstrated that Al2O3–EG nanofluid has the highest Nusselt number (rate of heat transfer), and more importantly, the braking torque of the proposed retarder decreases by only 8.2% under high‐power braking condition.

Structural and sedimentary discontinuities control the generation of karst dissolution cavities in a carbonate sequence, Potiguar Basin, Brazil

Epigenetic karstic systems in carbonate rocks commonly result from progressive dissolution by acidic meteoric waters over thousands to millions of years. The generation of secondary porosity and permeability improvement due to dissolution in carbonate reservoirs of geofluids (e.g., groundwater, hydrocarbons, and CO2) can profoundly impact reservoir storage capacity and subsurface fluid flow. This study investigates the control of structural discontinuities such as stylolites, fractures, and primary sedimentary discontinuities on the generation of multiscale karst dissolution cavities by epigenetic fluid percolation in a Late Cretaceous carbonate sequence (Jandaíra Formation) in the Potiguar Basin, Northeastern Brazil. The study relies on micro- and macroscale analyses such as stratigraphic logs, field structural investigations, rock strength data collected in the field (Schmidt hammer), microtomographic and drone images, thin section analyses, porosity and permeability laboratory measurements. The results show that bed-perpendicular stratabound and non-stratabound stylolites and fractures can be enlarged due to meteoric water percolation until they merge and form a single channel system that crosscuts all sedimentary multilayers. Bed-parallel stylolites are ubiquitous in carbonate sequences overprinting bed interfaces and layers. Where not dissolved, bed-parallel stylolites have low porosity and permeability and thus can act as barriers to vertical fluid flow. Where dissolved, such stylolites can contribute to horizontal fluid flow and form channel porosity. The results of this study led to a formulation of a conceptual model of rock dissolution along structural and sedimentary discontinuities that affects carbonate rock successions in the subsurface.

Estimation of reduced pressure buildup due to brine seepage using a convolution technique

CO2 sequestration involves injection of large volumes of CO2 into a storage reservoir bounded above and below by low-permeability seals. Although capillary effects are usually sufficient to prevent CO2 leakage through the caprock, the native brine will slowly migrate through the over- and underlying units when subject to overpressure in the reservoir. At large scales and over long time periods, diffuse fluid migration may have an important impact on large-scale pressure development. Typically, simulation studies of CO2 injection often omit the possibility of brine migration through the top and bottom boundaries of the reservoir. One reason is that vertical fluid flow requires additional resolution outside of the storage reservoir that poses a large computational burden. Therefore, analytical methods are an attractive approach for capturing diffuse brine leakage. In low-permeability layers, the flow is predominantly vertical, and the local system can be reduced to a 1D (vertical) equation. This can be solved on a semi-infinite (vertical) domain for a thick seal (> 10 − 20m), with the reservoir overpressure applied as a boundary condition. Because the boundary condition is not constant in time, the resulting solution is a convolution integral that must be computed at regular time intervals. In this paper, we couple the analytical solution for vertical brine leakage with a vertical equilibrium simulator (VESA). The VESA simulator is a reduced-dimension (2D) numerical model for two-phase flow in gravity-segregated systems, which is an appropriate assumption for large-scale CO2 storage. Coupling analytical solution for brine migration into a numerical simulator gives greater flexibility modeling injection into heterogeneous reservoirs. We find that the additional computational burden of the convolution integral is minimal compared to solving the full 3D system at the correct resolution. A solution for pressure development in the adjacent strata is also obtained analytically, leading to a fully 3D representation of pressure in the system. The coupled code is benchmarked with a fully analytical solution, and then applied to large-scale CO2 injection into the Utsira formation. We study the impact of diffuse brine leakage on development of large-scale overpressure in the storage reservoir for scenarios of high-volume CO2 injection.

Seismic evidence for repeated vertical fluid flow through polygonally faulted strata in the Canterbury Basin, New Zealand

Abstract Seismic imaging techniques are widely used to determine fluid migration pathways in the subsurface. Understanding the timing and distribution of focused fluid migration pathways is important for assessing reservoir seal quality and hydrocarbon exploration risk, as well as seafloor biogeochemical processes in the case of fluid venting from the seafloor. The frontier Canterbury Basin southeast of New Zealand is well studied, but questions remain regarding the dynamic movement of fluids through the basin. Using 3D seismic data combined with high-resolution boomer seismic data, we characterise focused fluid migration and sediment remobilisation events in the Canterbury Basin. We show how polygonal fault formation and nucleation is affected in the vicinity of vertically ascending fluids and sediments. A cylindrical region devoid of polygonal faulting around the feeder system of a buried sediment volcano points to the possible existence of an axisymmetrical stress field induced by upward migrating fluids and sediments. Sediment remobilisation and intrusions of permeable stingers (i.e. sand injectites) could enable dewatering of their host strata and thereby prevent polygonal faults from nucleating. Amplitude variations with angle (AVA) and a detailed analysis of two tiers of polygonal faults reveal three phases of fluid migration and sediment remobilisation and intrusion through, and into, low permeability sediments. Our integrated conceptual model provides insights into vertical fluid migration mechanisms and the implications for polygonal fault formation.

Flow pathway and evolution of water and oil along reverse faults in the northwestern Sichuan Basin, China

As a three-dimensional geological body, a fault zone has a complex internal structure. Disputes remain over flow pathways of fluids within fault zones. Well and seismic data cannot be used to effectively identify the internal structures of a fault zone. Furthermore, continuous core sampling in fault zones is commonly limited. Fewer studies of flow pathways along reverse faults are done in a sedimentary basin. Through extensive outcrop observations, sampling, and measurements in the northwestern Sichuan Basin of China, this study enhances our understanding of fluid evolution and the main pathway of vertical fluid flow along a reverse fault. In the studied carbonates, deep hot brine initially entered the fault zone and migrated upward along the fault core, then moved to shallow strata, mixed with meteoric water, and cooled in the fault zone. In the studied sandstone and shale, a paleo-oil pool formed in the fault damage zone. After that, forced by uplift and reactivation, oil migrated into the fault core along fractures and was cooled, washed, biodegraded, and oxidized by meteoric water. In the sandstone–sandstone juxtaposition faults, the oil shows are distinctly different between hanging wall and footwall. Fault rocks (sand and shale gouges) that developed along the principal slip surface seem to have prevented fluid flow across the fault. This evidence suggests that fault core and inner damaged zone are the main pathways of vertical fluid flow along the investigated reverse fault zone.

Marine Transform Faults and Fracture Zones: A Joint Perspective Integrating Seismicity, Fluid Flow and Life

Marine transform faults and associated fracture zones (MTFFZs) cover vast stretches of the ocean floor, where they play a key role in plate tectonics, accommodating the lateral movement of tectonic plates and allowing connections between ridges and trenches. Together with the continental counterparts of MTFFZs, these structures also pose a risk to human societies as they can generate high magnitude earthquakes and trigger tsunamis. Historical examples are the Sumatra-Wharton Basin Earthquake in 2012 (M8.6) and the Atlantic Gloria Fault Earthquake in 1941 (M8.4). Earthquakes at MTFFZs furthermore open and sustain pathways for fluid flow triggering reactions with the host rocks that may permanently change the rheological properties of the oceanic lithosphere. In fact, they may act as conduits mediating vertical fluid flow and leading to elemental exchanges between Earth’s mantle and overlying sediments. Chemicals transported upward in MTFFZs include energy substrates, such as H2 and volatile hydrocarbons, which then sustain chemosynthetic, microbial ecosystems at and below the seafloor. Moreover, up- or downwelling of fluids within the complex system of fractures and seismogenic faults along MTFFZs could modify earthquake cycles and/or serve as “detectors” for changes in the stress state during interseismic phases. Despite their likely global importance, the large areas where transform faults and fracture zones occur are still underexplored, as are the coupling mechanisms between seismic activity, fluid flow, and life. This manuscript provides an interdisciplinary review and synthesis of scientific progress at or related to MTFFZs and specifies approaches and strategies to deepen the understanding of processes that trigger, maintain, and control fluid flow at MTFFZs.