Assessing Fault Seal and Oil Preservation Risks Due to Fault Reactivation in the Timor Sea With an Automated Conceptual Model

Author(s):  
L. Langhi ◽  
C. Dyt ◽  
W. Bailey
2009 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 124
Author(s):  
Yanhua Zhang ◽  
A. Gartrell ◽  
J.R. Underschultz ◽  
D.N. Dewhurst ◽  
L. Langhi

1996 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 399 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.W. O'Brien ◽  
M. Lisk ◽  
I. Duddy ◽  
P.J. Eadington ◽  
S. Cadman ◽  
...  

An integrated study of the fluid flow, hydrocarbon charge and thermal histories of a suite of traps from the Timor Sea has revealed the presence of a key fluid flow event in the latest Miocene/Early Pliocene. This event, which coincided with, and was driven by, the extensive tectonism and fault reactivation associated with the collision of the Australian and Eurasian plates, involved the flowage of hot (90-120°C), saline (>200,000 ppm) brines (probably from deeply buried Palaeozoic evaporite sequences) up major faults and through the Mesozoic and Tertiary sequences. The passage of these hot brines produced a Late Tertiary (100,000 to 1 million years). In contrast, strongly reactivated, low integrity traps such as East Swan appear to have been breached too quickly (


AAPG Bulletin ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 90 (12) ◽  
pp. 1921-1944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Gartrell ◽  
Wayne R. Bailey ◽  
Mark Brincat

2002 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 187 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.D. Mildren ◽  
R.R. Hillis ◽  
J.Kaldi

Predictions of the likelihood of fault reactivation for five fault-bound prospects in the Timor Sea are made using the FAST (Fault Analysis Seal Technology) technique. Fault reactivation is believed to be the dominant cause of seal breach in the area. Calculations are made using a stress tensor appropriate for the area, a conservative fault-rock failure envelope and the structural geometries of each prospect. A depth-stress power relationship defines the vertical stress magnitude based on vertical stress profiles for 17 Timor Sea wells.Empirical evidence of hydrocarbon leakage at each trap is used to investigate the accuracy of the fault reactivation-based predictions of seal integrity. There is a good correlation between evidence of leakage and the risk of reactivation predicted using the FAST technique. Risk of reactivation is expressed as the pore pressure increase (ΔP) that would be required to induce failure. This study allows the fault reactivation predictions to be calibrated in terms of risk of seal breach. Low integrity traps are associated with ΔP values less than 10 MPa, moderate integrity traps correspond with values between 10 and 15 MPa and high integrity traps correspond with values greater than 15 MPa. Faults with dip magnitudes greater than 60° in the Timor Sea area are likely to have a high risk of reactivation and shear failure is the most likely mode of reactivation.


1990 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Mike Whibley ◽  
Ted Jacobson

Permit WA-199-P, located in the Northern Bonaparte Basin, has undergone an intensive exploration phase from its award on 22 October 1985, which has resulted in the acquisition of 6250 km of 2D seismic and 1558 km of 3D seismic together with the drilling of seven exploration wells. Significant oil shows were recorded in six of these wells.The major play type investigated to date within the permit consists of Jurassic tilted horst and fault blocks. Potential reservoirs comprising medium to coarse grained sandstones of the Jurassic Plover Formation and, to a lesser extent, the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Flamingo Group, are sealed by massive claystones of the Cretaceous Bathurst Island Group. Numerous oil shows have been encountered by drilling within these two reservoirs; however, drilling results from the Avocet-Eider structure indicate that Late Miocene-Recent fault reactivation often breaches the lateral seal of the fault- dependent structures causing leakage of hydrocarbons up the fault.Source extract-oil correlations and maturation studies indicate that the most likely oil sources comprise thermally mature marine claystones of the Flamingo Group and Plover Formation, developed within the Sahul Syncline to the east of WA-199-P. The main period of oil migration was probably Miocene or younger. A number of play types remain untested. These consist of Permian, Intra-Triassic and top Cretaceous fault blocks, as well as fault-independent closures, downdip fault closures and stratigraphic wedge outs of Maastrichtian sand reservoirs, and submarine fan sands developed within the basal Flamingo Group.


2000 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 174 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.J. de Ruig M. Trupp ◽  
D.J. Bishop ◽  
D. Kuek ◽  
D.A. Castillo

Fault-bounded Jurassic structures of the Timor Sea have in recent years been the focus of intensive oil exploration. A number of significant oil discoveries have highlighted the exploration potential of this area (e.g. Laminaria, Corallina, Buffalo, Elang, Kakatua), but the majority of tested structures are either underfilled or show evidence of a residual oil column, resulting from trap failure of previously hydrocarbon-bearing structures. Recent well results confirm that trap integrity remains the principal exploration risk in the Timor Sea.Fault reactivation of Jurassic hydrocarbon traps is related to late Miocene-Pliocene oblique collision between the Australian plate and the SE Asian plate complex, which caused widespread transtensional faulting. The sealing potential of fault-bounded traps is, to a large degree, controlled by the orientation of the fault plane relative to the late Miocene-Recent stress field. However, the location of potential hydrocarbon leakage pathways remains difficult to define due to the complex fault architecture and a limited understanding of the interaction between Jurassic faults and Late Tertiary tectonism.During the past few years, a wealth of new exploration wells and 3D seismic data has become available from the Laminaria High/Nancar Trough area. The use of 3D visualisation tools, seismic coherency filtering and other seismic techniques has greatly enhanced our understanding of the fault architecture of this area of the Timor Sea.The structural architecture of the Nancar Trough/ Laminaria High is made up of several different structural intervals that are stratigraphically separated and partially decoupled along thick claystone intervals. Fault blocks at Jurassic level are typically overlain by Tertiary en-echelon graben systems, often showing characteristic 'hourglass' structures in cross-section. Detailed mapping of these fault structures on 3D seismic data has shown that the Jurassic faults and overlying Tertiary faults areoften partially decoupled.Fault throw distributions indicate that the Mio-Pliocene faults have grown downwards instead of Jurassic faults propagating upwards during reactivation. The two fault systems are soft-linked within Cretaceous claystones, only locally linking to form through-going faults. Hydrocarbon leakage pathways are most likely located at these points where critically stressed parts of Jurassic faults link up with Tertiary faults. The position of these linkage zones in relation to structural closure is key to understanding the distribution of preserved and breached columns that have been observed to date.The integration of 3D seismic fault plane mapping with in-situ stress analysis from borehole image and pressure test data provides a valuable tool for the evaluation of trap integrity, potential hydrocarbon leak paths and a more accurate risk assessment of exploration prospects.


AAPG Bulletin ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 567-591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurent Langhi ◽  
Yanhua Zhang ◽  
Anthony Gartrell ◽  
Jim Underschultz ◽  
David Dewhurst

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret A. Shaffer ◽  
Anne Marie C. Francesco ◽  
Janice R. Joplin ◽  
Theresa Lau

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