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Integrating petrophysical, geological and geomechanical modelling to assess stress states, overpressure development and compartmentalisation adjacent to a salt wall, gulf of Mexico

Obradors-Prats, J.; Calderon Medina, E.E.; Jones, S.J.; Rouainia, M.; Aplin, A.C.; Crook, A.J.L.

Integrating petrophysical, geological and geomechanical modelling to assess stress states, overpressure development and compartmentalisation adjacent to a salt wall, gulf of Mexico Thumbnail


Authors

J. Obradors-Prats

M. Rouainia

A.J.L. Crook



Abstract

Multi-well pressure data from the Magnolia Field, located on a flank of the salt-bounded Titan passive mini-basin in the Garden Banks area of the continental slope of the Gulf of Mexico, indicate remarkably high overpressures that vary, at similar depths, by up to 10 MPa between sand bodies 1 km apart. In the present paper, we integrate geological and geophysical analysis with 2D forward hydro-mechanical evolutionary modelling to assess the contribution of both disequilibrium compaction and diapir-related tectonic loading to the observed overpressure and to understand controls on pressure compartmentalisation. The 2D finite element evolutionary model captured the sedimentation of isolated sand channels bounded by mud-dominated sediments close to a rising salt wall which led to tectonic loading on sediments. Comparison of results from the 2D and 1D models shows that disequilibrium compaction can explain most of the overpressure as a result of very rapid deposition of mainly mud-rich, low permeability sediments; tectonic loading contributes around 7% of the observed overpressure. The models also show that linked to the high sedimentation rates, small variations in the permeability and connectivity of the mud-rich sections that bound the channel sands result in highly compartmentalised pressure distributions in adjacent sand bodies.

Citation

Obradors-Prats, J., Calderon Medina, E., Jones, S., Rouainia, M., Aplin, A., & Crook, A. (2023). Integrating petrophysical, geological and geomechanical modelling to assess stress states, overpressure development and compartmentalisation adjacent to a salt wall, gulf of Mexico. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 155, Article 106352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2023.106352

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jun 1, 2023
Online Publication Date Jun 12, 2023
Publication Date 2023-09
Deposit Date Jun 15, 2023
Publicly Available Date Jun 15, 2023
Journal Marine and Petroleum Geology
Print ISSN 0264-8172
Electronic ISSN 1873-4073
Publisher Elsevier
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 155
Article Number 106352
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2023.106352
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1172441

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