Allison, M. Lee1
(1) Kansas Geological Survey, Lawrence, KS
ABSTRACT: Variations of in Situ Stresses as Indicators of Active Fractures and Faults
Analyses of borehole breakouts show a common characteristic of variations of in situ
stresses from regional trends. These varying data are routinely ignored or dismissed as
noise or errors. Instead, these stress variations are local stresses that can identify
orientations of active fractures within specific geologic layers and the presence of
active faults at remote distances from the borehole. Variations of breakouts can thus be
used to predict optimum directions for horizontal drilling that may be different from
those expected based on regional trends.
The underlying assumption in most studies of borehole breakouts is that regional patterns
of stress orientation are most important and variations to them must be thrown out as bad
data or at best, averaged into some perceived smooth trend. This destroys valid data and
can distort the remaining data.
Breakouts can demonstrate sharp changes in stress orientations between wells in a field
and within individual wells. Blocks of rock separated by faults maintain separate stress
systems, independent of those across the faults. The localized stress orientations
identify the orientation of open fractures or the direction that frac’ing will create
fractures. Stress fields associated with active faults can be recognized at distances from
the faults and used to predict the orientation and locations of faults that are otherwise
unknown. Multiple stress fields may be present in a single geologic interval and may
indicate multiply oriented fracture systems and faults in the vicinity.
Examples will be shown from a number of western states and basins.
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90026©2004 AAPG Annual Meeting, Dallas, Texas, April 18-21, 2004