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Tectonostratigraphic controls on pore fluid pressure distribution across the Taranaki Basin, New Zealand

O'Neill, Sean R.; Jones, Stuart J.; Kamp, Peter J.J.

Tectonostratigraphic controls on pore fluid pressure distribution across the Taranaki Basin, New Zealand Thumbnail


Authors

Sean O'Neill sean.oneill@durham.ac.uk
PGR Student Doctor of Philosophy

Peter J.J. Kamp



Abstract

Significant variations in pore pressure across the Taranaki Basin, New Zealand, are attributed to changes in lithofacies and structure, usefully illustrated in terms of ten areas that we term geopressure provinces, each displaying individual pore pressure trends. Cretaceous to Early Miocene formations in different parts of the basin can be either normally pressured (near or at hydrostatic) or significantly overpressured (up to 28 MPa) at the same depth. Variations in Eocene–Oligocene facies types and thicknesses both within and between geopressure provinces provide first-order control on the magnitude, distribution and maintenance of overpressure across the basin. Examples of hydraulic compartmentalisation due to sealing faults and stratigraphic architecture are identified within the basin. Deep pore pressure transitions are sealed by diagenetic, structural or stratigraphic mechanisms in different places and are associated with an increase in mudrock volume (reduced permeability) or gas generation. Thus, pore pressure distribution in the Taranaki Basin is controlled by a combination of sediment loading, lithofacies variations, fault zone permeability and structural architecture. This work represents an appraisal of the pore pressure distribution across the whole of a multiphase structurally complex basin, and the approach taken provides a framework for better understanding the distribution of pore fluid pressures and pore fluid migration in other sedimentary basins.

Citation

O'Neill, S. R., Jones, S. J., & Kamp, P. J. (2023). Tectonostratigraphic controls on pore fluid pressure distribution across the Taranaki Basin, New Zealand. Basin Research, 35(3), 1128-1153. https://doi.org/10.1111/bre.12749

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Dec 25, 2022
Online Publication Date Jan 24, 2023
Publication Date 2023-06
Deposit Date Jan 26, 2023
Publicly Available Date Jan 26, 2023
Journal Basin Research
Print ISSN 0950-091X
Electronic ISSN 1365-2117
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 35
Issue 3
Pages 1128-1153
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/bre.12749
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1180670

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Published Journal Article (22.2 Mb)
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Publisher Licence URL
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Copyright Statement
© 2023 The Authors. Basin Research published by International Association of Sedimentologists and European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.






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