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Titel |
The pulsed migration of hydrocarbons across inactive faults |
VerfasserIn |
S. D. Harris, L. Elliott, R. J. Knipe |
Medientyp |
Artikel
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Sprache |
Englisch
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ISSN |
1027-5606
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Digitales Dokument |
URL |
Erschienen |
In: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ; 3, no. 2 ; Nr. 3, no. 2, S.151-175 |
Datensatznummer |
250000905
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Publikation (Nr.) |
copernicus.org/hess-3-151-1999.pdf |
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Zusammenfassung |
Geological fault zones are usually assumed to influence hydrocarbon migration
either as high permeability zones which allow enhanced along- or across-fault
flow or as barriers to the flow. An additional important migration process
inducing along- or across-fault migration can be associated with dynamic
pressure gradients. Such pressure gradients can be created by earthquake
activity and are suggested here to allow migration along or across inactive
faults which "feel" the quake-related pressure changes; i.e. the migration
barriers can be removed on inactive faults when activity takes place on an
adjacent fault. In other words, a seal is viewed as a temporary retardation
barrier which leaks when a fault related fluid pressure event enhances the
buoyancy force and allows the entry pressure to be exceeded. This is in
contrast to the usual model where a seal leaks because an increase in
hydrocarbon column height raises the buoyancy force above the entry pressure of
the fault rock. Under the new model hydrocarbons may migrate across the inactive
fault zone for some time period during the earthquake cycle. Numerical models of
this process are presented to demonstrate the impact of this mechanism and its
role in filling traps bounded by sealed faults. |
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