Doran, Helen1, R.S Haszeldine1, C Taberner2, A.E
Fallick3
(1) The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
(2) Institute of Earth Sciences, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
(3) SUERC, Glasgow, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT: Fluid Migration around the Machar Salt Diapir UK Central North Sea: Impact on Porosity and Permeability of a Fractured Carbonate Reservoir
The Machar chalk oilfield, Central North Sea, forms a regional leak-off point from
deeper geopressured sandstones. A concentric pattern of open permeable, and filled
impermeable, fractures formed during salt diapir growth. The matrix chalk has 20% modal
porosity with less than 150mD permeability
Cap rocks to the diapir are enriched in celestite (SrSO4), derived from outwith the salt.
Mass-balance of pore-fluid required for Sr import into the celestite shows that several
oilfield volumes have flowed through the present day reservoir.
Many individual fractures host multiple generations of carbonate, barite and fluorite
growth. Fluid-inclusions in fracture-fills show maximum salinities (22 wt% NaCl eq),
suggesting that fluids dissolved salt from the diapir. Maximum fluid-inclusion
temperatures (150oC ) from wells spanning the crest and flank of the
structure, are much hotter than expected for present depths (1900 to 2800m). Carbon
isotope of fracture-filling calcites (+2 to +7 13C PDB ‰) exceed those of
tightly constrained chalk matrix 0 to +3 13C PDB (‰). Thus at least
some of the carbon was derived externally to the chalk. Oxygen isotopes from fracture
filling calcites (16 to 25 18Osmow ‰) are depleted relative to
chalk matrix values (24 to 29 18Osmow ‰).
The combined data sets indicate that fracture-filling material could not have formed from
local chalk matrix pore-fluids. One possible explanation is pulsed expulsion of hot
saline, and hydrocarbon, fluids from geopressured sandstones in the adjacent deep basin.
Deep-derived fluids here cemented fractures at shallow depths.
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90026©2004 AAPG Annual Meeting, Dallas, Texas, April 18-21, 2004.