Buried Strike-Slip Fault Identification Technique Based on a 3D Stress Body Attribute Considering Formation Deformation and Lithologic Variation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Wang ◽  
Kui Wu ◽  
Lin Kang ◽  
Xiaobo Huang ◽  
Jian Yao

Abstract The identification and interpretation of buried strike-slip faults are of great significance int the search for structural traps in oil and gas exploration. However, it is difficult to identify and interpret buried strike-slip faults from seismic profiles and variance slicing, because they may be clear at depth but vague in the shallow. This study proposes a 3D stress body attribute taking into consideration formation deformation and lithologic variation to identify buried strike-slip faults. Taking into account thin plate theory and the generalized Hooke's law, a relationship between stress field, formation deformation and lithologic variation is established. Structural curvature body is used to represent the formation deformation, which is obtained by scanning of the body dip angle and second-order derivation of the wave number domain, while Poisson's ratio and Young's modulus volumes are employed to reflect the spatial lithologic variation, which are calculated by the multivariate linear fitting method or prestack inversion. This technique is applied to the secondary structural interpretation of JinZhou 25-1 oilfield in LiaoDong Bay depression of BoHai Bay Basin. Compared with the 2000 ms variance slice, it can be seen clearly that there is a significant stress concentration zone in the location of LiaoXi buried strike-slip fault from the 3D stress body attribute slice, which is consistent with a sudden change in strata observed on the profile. The LiaoXi buried strike-slip fault has been identified and interpreted. Many structural traps greater than 20km2 have been found along its course. Among them, W structure was drilled in 2016 and about 4.5 million tons of oil was found. This suggests that the spatial distribution of buried strike-slip faults associated with tectonics can be effectively identified through the strength property of the stress field, which is greatly superior to the conventional variance-related methods. It verifies the ability of this technique in the identification and interpretation of strike-slip faults in the entire Bohai Bay Basin and thus its potentially critical role in guiding secondary seismic interpretation.

2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 835-849 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangzeng Wang ◽  
Sanzhong Li ◽  
Zhiping Wu ◽  
Yanhui Suo ◽  
Lingli Guo ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 153 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 866-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
FUSHENG YU ◽  
HEMIN KOYI

AbstractModelling results and seismic interpretation illustrate that the Cenozoic evolution of the Bohai Bay Basin (BBB) can be divided into different stages. A transtensional phase during Paleocene – early Oligocene time created NE-trending strike-slip faults and E–W-trending normal faults which were driven roughly by N–S–extension, making an angle of 25° with the strike-slip faults. Seismic data interpretation yields evidence that inversion phases occurred within the NE Xialiaohe Depression of the greater Bohai Bay Basin. This inversion phase is attributed to rotation and partial inversion that occurred during late Oligocene time, leading to formation of inversion structures along the NE part of Tanlu Fault. This episode is attributed to an anticlockwise rotation of the eastern part of the BBB driven by the convergence between the Pacific and Eurasian plates. The tectonic scenario described was simulated in scaled analogue models, which were extended by pulling two basement plates away from each other. Partial inversion was simulated by rotation of one of the plates relative to the other. Model results show many of the features observed in the BBB. Our model results are used to argue that, unlike the two-episode extension and whole-basin inversion models previously proposed for the BBB, a single N–S-aligned extension followed by anticlockwise rotation accounts for the Cenozoic evolution of the BBB and produces some of the structural complexities observed in the basin.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng Zhang ◽  
Zhiping Wu ◽  
Shiyong Yan

<p>Buried-hills, paleotopographic highs covered by younger sediments, become the focused area of exploration in China in pace with the reduction of hydrocarbon resources in the shallow strata. A number of buried-hill fields have been discovered in Tanhai area located in the northeast of Jiyang Depression within Bohai Bay Basin, which provides an excellent case study for better understanding the structural evolution and formation mechanism of buried-hills. High-quality 3-D seismic data calibrated by well data makes it possible to research deeply buried erosional remnants. In this study, 3-D visualization of key interfaces, seismic cross-sections, fault polygons maps and thickness isopach maps are shown to manifest structural characteristics of buried-hills. Balanced cross-sections and fault growth rates are exhibited to demonstrate the forming process of buried-hills. The initiation and development of buried-hills are under the control of fault system. According to strike variance, main faults are grouped into NW-, NNE- and near E-trending faults. NW-trending main faults directly dominate the whole mountain range, while NNE- and near E-trending main faults have an effect on dissecting mountain range and controlling the single hill. In addition, secondary faults with different nature complicate internal structure of buried-hills. During Late Triassic, NW-trending thrust faults formed in response to regional compressional stress field, preliminarily building the fundamental NW-trending structural framework. Until Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous, rolling-back subduction of Pacific Plate and sinistral movement of Tan-Lu Fault Zone (TLFZ) integrally converted NW-trending thrust faults into normal faults. The footwall of NW-trending faults quickly rose and became a large-scale NW-trending mountain range. The intense movement of TLFZ simultaneously induced a series of secondary NNE-trending strike-slip faults, among which large-scale ones divided the mountain range into northern, middle and southern section. After entry into Cenozoic, especially Middle Eocene, the change of subduction direction of Pacific Plate induced the transition of regional stress field. Near E-trending basin-controlling faults developed and dissected previous tectonic framework. The middle section of mountain range was further separated into three different single hill. Subsequently, the mountain range was gradually submerged and buried by overlying sediments, due to regional thermal subsidence. Through multiphase structural evolution, the present-day geometry of buried-hills is eventually taken shape.</p>


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Zhang ◽  
Zhiping Wu ◽  
Yanjun Cheng

<p>The horsetail structure, also named brush structure, generally refers to a sets of secondary faults converged to the primary fault on the plane. Based on 2-D and 3-D seismic data, the structural characteristics, evolution and mechanism of the horsetail structure of Liaodong Bay area in Bohai Bay Basin and Weixinan area in Beibuwan Basin are analyzed. In the Liaodong Bay area, the primary fault of the horsetail structure is the NNE-striking branch fault of Tan-Lu strike-slip fault zone. The NE-striking secondary extensional faults converged to the primary strike-slip fault. Fault activity analysis shows that both the primary and secondary faults intensively activated during the third Member of the Shahejie Formation (42~38 Ma). In the Weixinan area, the NE-striking Weixinan fault is the primary fault of the horsetail structure, which is an extensional fault. A large amount of EW-striking secondary extensional faults converged to the primary NE-striking Weixinan fault. Fault activity analysis shows that NE-striking primary fault intensively activated during the second Member of the Liushagang Formation (48.6~40.4 Ma), whereas the EW-striking secondary faults intensively activated during the Weizhou Formation (33.9~23 Ma). The different structure and evolution of the horsetail structure in the Liaodong Bay area and Weixinan area are mainly resulted from the regional tectonic settings. About 42 Ma, the change of subduction direction of the Pacific plate and the India-Eurasian collision resulted in the right-lateral strike-slip movement of NNE-striking Tan-Lu fault and the formation of NE-striking extensional faults along the bend of the strike-slip fault, therefore, the horsetail structure of Liaodong Bay area formed. However, the formation of the horsetail structure of Weixinan area is related to the clockwise rotation of extension stress in the South China Sea (SCS): 1) During Paleocene to M. Eocene (65~37.8 Ma), the retreat of Pacific plate subduction zone resulted in the formation of NW-SE extensional stress field in the north margin of the SCS, NE-striking primary fault of horsetail structure formed; 2) During L. Eocene to E. Oligocene (37.8~28.4 Ma), the change of subduction direction of the Pacific plate and the India-Eurasian collision resulted in the clockwise rotation of extension direction from NW-SE to N-S in the north margin of the SCS, a large amount of EW-striking secondary faults of horsetail structure formed, and the horsetail structure was totally formed in the Weixinan area until this stage.</p>


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