Authors: Maria A Nikolinakou Peter B Flemings Michael R Hudec
Publish Date: 2015/10/15
Volume: 49, Issue: 2, Pages: 699-705
Abstract
We model the stress–strain response of shale wall rocks to large deformations associated with the emplacement of salt bodies We further identify the implications of these stress changes for hydrocarbon exploration We model the mudrocks as porous elastoplastic materials We employ both static and evolutionary approach for the modeling of salt systems and show that while the static one can model actual geologic geometries only the evolutionary approach can provide a detailed description of the stress changes associated with the emplacement of salt Hence the evolutionary approach can register the overall stress history of the shale wall rocks which is essential for predicting the presentday state of stress porosity and pore pressure More generally the evolutionary approach can provide useful insights for understanding Earth processes related to salthydrocarbon systemsThe discussed research projects were funded by the Applied Geodynamics Laboratory consortium and the University of Texas at Austin U T GeoFluids consortium AGL is supported by the following companies Anadarko Apache BHP Billiton BP CGG Chevron Cobalt ConocoPhillips Ecopetrol ENI ExxonMobil Fugro Global Geophysical Hess Ion KNOC McMoRan Maersk Marathon Murphy Nexen Noble Pemex Petrobras PGS Repsol Samson Saudi Aramco Shell Statoil Talisman TGS Total Western Geco and Woodside U T GeoFluids is supported by the following companies Anadarko BHP Billiton BP Chevron ConocoPhillips ExxonMobil Hess Murphy Oil Repsol Schlumberger Shell Statoil and Total The author received additional support from the U T Jackson School of Geosciences This publication was authorized by the Director Bureau of Economic Geology
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