On the Reactivation of the Pre-Existing Normal Fault
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resource and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, China
- 2 Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
Abstract
The reactivation of pre-existing faults is a common phenomenon in a basin. This paper discusses the relationship between the pre-existing faults and the newly formed Coulomb shear fractures regarding pore fluid pressures. Based on the Coulomb fracture criterion and Byerlee frictional sliding criterion, an equation relating pore pressure coefficient ( λ e ), minimum dip angle ( α e ) of the reactive pre-existing fault and the intersection point depth ( z ) between the pre-existing fault and a newly formed Coulomb shear fault in an extensional basin, is established in this paper. This equation enhanced the understanding on the reactivation of pre-existing faults and can be used to calculate paleo-pore fluid pressures. The bigger the pore fluid pressure in a pre-existing fault is, the less the minimum dip angle for a reactive pre-existing fault will be. The minimum dip angle is less in shallow area than that in deep area. This will be of significance in petroleum exploration and development.
- Twiss, R.J. and Moores, E.M. (2007) Structural Geology. W. H. Freeman and Company, New York.
- Naliboff, J. and Buiter, S.J.H. (2015) Rift Reactivation and Migration during Multiphase Extension. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 421, 58-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2015.03.050
- Phillips, T.B., Jackson, C.A., Bell, R.E., Duffy, O.B. and Fossen, H. (2016) Reactivation of Intrabasement Structures during Rifting: A Case Study from Offshore Southern Norway. Journal of Structural Geology, 91, 54-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2016.08.008
- Claringbould, J.S., Bell, R.E., Jackson, C.A.L., Gawthorpe, R.L. and Odinsen, T. (2017) Pre-Existing Normal Faults Have Limited Control on the Rift Geometry of the Northern North Sea. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 475, 190-206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2017.07.014
- Thomas, D.W. and Coward, M.P. (1995) Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Inversion of the Northern East Shetland Basin, Northern North Sea. Geological Society, 88, 275-306. https://doi.org/10.1144/GSL.SP.1995.088.01.16
- Bell, R.E., Jackson, C.A-L., Whipp, P.S. and Clements, B. (2014) Strain Migration during Multiphase Extension: Observations from the Northern North Sea. Tectonics, 33, 1936-1963. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014TC003551
- Zhang, Y., Underschultz, J.R., Gartrell, A., Dewhurst, D.N. and Langhi, L. (2011) Effects of Regional Fluid Pressure Gradients on Strain Localisation and Fluid Flow during Extensional Fault Reactivation. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 28, 1703-1713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2011.07.006
- Chen, S.P., Xu, S.S., Wang, D.R. and Tan, Y.M. (2013) Effect of Block Rotation on Fault Sealing: An Example in Dongpu Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, China. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 39, 39-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2012.10.002
- Henza, A.A., Withjack, M.O. and Schlische, R.W. (2010) Normal-Fault Development during Two Phases of Non-Coaxial Extension: An Experimental Study. Journal of Structural Geology, 32, 1656-1667. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2009.07.007
- Chen, Z.G. (1986) Rock Mechanic Property and Tectonic Stress Field. Geological Publishing House, Beijing.
- Fossen, H. (2010) Structural Geology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511777806
- Byerlee, J. (1978) Friction of Rocks. Pure and Applied Geophysics, 116, 615-626. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00876528