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The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database
AAPG Bulletin
Abstract
AAPG Bulletin, V.
DOI: 10.1306/05192524084
The impact of textural variation on the topology of fracture networks in carbonates
C. M. Burberry,1 F. M. Qassim,2 T. D. Frank,3 and M. L. Searls4
1Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska; [email protected]
2Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska; present address: Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Sidney, Nebraska; [email protected]
3Department of Earth Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut; [email protected]
4Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska; [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Assessing fracture network connectivity in reservoirs remains challenging because of the complexity of fracture networks at various length scales. Outcrop studies are essential for understanding subsurface fracture networks because intersecting fracture sheets’ length, orientation, height distribution, and, therefore, network connectivity and intensity are difficult to measure from wellbores and are typically below seismic resolution. Nevertheless, fracture network connectivity is a crucial parameter and a critical factor in understanding, evaluating, and predicting fluid flow behavior in numerous industries, including petroleum, geothermal, and geological disposal. Although using topology to assess the connectivity of fracture networks has recently gained popularity in structural geology, no study has been conducted to investigate the impact of textural variation on the connectivity of fractured carbonates. This contribution aims to use the fracture network topology (nodes, branches, and lines) at outcrop scale to assess the connectivity and intensity of fracture networks in different carbonate textures from the Ozark Plateau, Arkansas. We used thin sections to determine the type of carbonate texture using the Dunham classification scheme, allowing us to compare the connectivity and intensity of fracture networks to carbonate texture. Results show that mud-supported carbonate textures have higher connectivity and intensity than grain-supported carbonates. The variation in connectivity is due to the variation in the percentage of connected nodes and branches in the carbonate type. Results of this study show that topology is an effective method to assess the impact of textural variation on the connectivity and intensity of fractured carbonates.
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