About This Item

Share This Item

The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

AAPG Bulletin

Abstract

AAPG Bulletin, V. 98, No. 3 (March 2014), P. 449463.

Copyright copy2014. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved.

DOI:10.1306/08141313029

The petrophysical and petrographical properties of hyaloclastite deposits: Implications for petroleum exploration

Tim J. Watton,1 Kirstie A. Wright,2 Dougal A. Jerram,3 Richard J. Brown4

1Science Laboratories, Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom; present address: Statoil U.K. Ltd., One Kingdom Street, Paddington, London W2 6BD, United Kingdom; [email protected]
2DONG Energy, London, United Kingdom; [email protected]
3DougalEARTH Ltd., Solihull, United Kingdom; present address: Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; [email protected]
4Science Laboratories, Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom; [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Offshore sequences of volcaniclastic rocks (such as hyaloclastite deposits) are poorly understood in terms of their rock properties and their response to compaction and burial. As petroleum exploration targets offshore volcanic rifted margins worldwide, understanding of volcanic rock properties becomes important both in terms of drilling and how the rocks may behave as seals, reservoirs, or permeability pathways. The Hawaiian Scientific Drilling Project phase II in 2001 obtained a 3 km-(2-mi)-long core of volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks that records the emergence of the largest of the Hawaiian islands. Core recovery of 2945 m (9662 ft) resulted in an unparalleled data set of volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks. Detailed logging, optical petrology, and major element analysis of two sections at depths 1831–1870 and 2530–2597 m (6007–6135 and 8300–8520 ft) are compared to recovered petrophysical logs (gamma ray, resistivity, and P-wave velocity). This study concludes deviation in petrophysical properties does not seem to correlate to changes in grain size or clast sorting, but instead correlates with alteration type (zeolite component) and bulk mineralogy (total olivine phenocryst percentage component). These data sets are important in helping to calibrate well-log responses through hyaloclastite intervals in areas of active petroleum exploration such as the North Atlantic (e.g., Faroe-Shetland Basin, United Kingdom, and Faroe Islands, the Norwegian margin and South Atlantic margins bordering Brazil and Angola).

Pay-Per-View Purchase Options

The article is available through a document delivery service. Explain these Purchase Options.

Watermarked PDF Document: $14
Open PDF Document: $24

AAPG Member?

Please login with your Member username and password.

Members of AAPG receive access to the full AAPG Bulletin Archives as part of their membership. For more information, contact the AAPG Membership Department at [email protected].