About This Item

Share This Item

The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

AAPG Special Volumes

Abstract

Hurst, A., and J. Cartwright, 2007, Relevance of sand injectites to hyrdocarbon exploration and production, in A. Hurst and J. Cartwright, eds., Sand injectites: Implications for hydrocarbon exploration and production: AAPG Memoir 87, p. 1-19.

DOI:10.1306/1209846M871546

Copyright copy2007. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists.

Relevance of Sand Injectites to Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production

Andrew Hurst,1 Joseph Cartwright2

1Department of Geology and Petroleum Geology, Kings College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
23DLab, School of Earth, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Without the support our various sponsors at different stages of our research, we doubt very much whether this memoir would be possible. Several of our sponsors no longer exist or exist under a different name, so thank you Chevron, DONG, Enterprise Oil, Elf, Kerr McGee, Lundin, Marathon, Norsk Hydro, Shell, Statoil, and Total and, where appropriate, under your new incarnations. We are indebted to our colleagues and students with whom we agonized and progressed, sometimes in equal measure, with our injectite problems: Bryan Cronin, Davide Duranti, Mads Huuse, Rene Jonk, John Parnell, Michael Overstolz, Anne Schwab, and Simon Shoulders. Finally, we thank Robbie Gries for suggesting and encouraging this publication.

ABSTRACT

Sand injectites are described as an increasingly common occurrence in hydrocarbon reservoirs, in particular in deep-water clastic systems, where they are known to influence reserves distribution and recovery. Seismically detectable injected sand bodies constitute targets for exploration and development wells, and subseismic sand bodies provide excellent intrareservoir flow units that create fieldwide vertical communication through depositionally extensive, low-permeability units. Because sand injectites form permeable conduits in otherwise low-permeability units, they facilitate the expulsion of basinal fluids; hence, they act both as a seal risk as well as mitigating timing and rate of hydrocarbon migration. Injected sand bodies form intrusive traps, which are distinct from structural or stratigraphic traps. Reservoir quality is typically excellent, with a high level of connectivity between sand bodies of all sizes. In a production context, sand injections enhance sweep efficiency but may cause more rapid-than-expected water breakthrough if wells are placed too near injectite complexes. Despite experience from the North Sea, recognition of sand injectites and their significance in hydrocarbon basins globally are at an early stage.

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