Structural geology of the Gullfaks Field, northern North Sea

Fossen, Haakon; Hesthammer, Jonny

doi:10.1144/gsl.sp.1998.127.01.16

Cited by 47 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Each of the faults exhibits several kilometers of offset and belongs to what are sometimes referred to as first-order faults in the North Sea (e.g. Fossen & Hesthammer, 1998a). The eastern (Huldra) fault shows up on various regional sections as a strongly listric structure (Fig.…”

Section: General Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

Structural geology of the Huldra Field, northern North Sea—a major tilted fault block at the eastern edge of the Horda Platform

Fossen

Hesthammer

Johansen

et al. 2003

Marine and Petroleum Geology

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The Huldra fault block is a rotated major fault block on the east margin of the Viking Graben in the northern North Sea. Unlike the rest of the Horda Platform area, the Jurassic section in the Huldra fault block was rotated more than 208 during slip on the listric Huldra fault, which forms a low-angle detachment beneath the Huldra fault block. The fault block is interpreted as resulting from marginal collapse of the Horda Platform after relief along the eastern margin of the Viking Graben built up in early parts of the middle to late Jurassic rifting history. The collapse resulted in NW directed transport of the Huldra fault block, consistent with a previously postulated change in extension direction from W -E to NW-SE toward the end of the Jurassic period. Minor faults within the Hulrda fault block are consistent with E -W extension and thus may have formed early during the late Jurassic rifting phase. Nevertheless, the crest (Huldra Field) seems surprisingly intact, considering its proximity to a major fault zone. Deformation bands studied from core material are non-cataclastic and concentrated in zones. Evidence for smearing along a cored fault surface indicates that minor subseismic faults may be sealing. Production data from the field indicate good communication between most wells, suggesting that the subseismic faults and deformation band zones that are present in the reservoir have relatively small influence on the flow of gas in the reservoir. q

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Section: General Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

Structural geology of the Huldra Field, northern North Sea—a major tilted fault block at the eastern edge of the Horda Platform

Fossen

Hesthammer

Johansen

et al. 2003

Marine and Petroleum Geology

Self Cite

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“…Wensaas et al (1994) mentioned that early Cretaceous sedimentation was influenced by the Late Kimmerian tectonic phase suffering erosion of structural highs. He also added that most of the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous sediments are largely absent from the main Gullfaks structure, hence reinforcing the point made by Fossen and Hesthammer (1998), earlier and also since the Upper Cretaceous times, the whole area has been subsiding. Structurally, the field is very complex and can be divided into three regions; the 'Domino System' bounded by low dipping rotated fault blocks in the west, a horst in the east, both sandwiching an 'Adaptation zone' characterized by fold structures (Fossen and Hesthammer 1998).…”

Section: Regional Geology and Tectonismmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…He also added that most of the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous sediments are largely absent from the main Gullfaks structure, hence reinforcing the point made by Fossen and Hesthammer (1998), earlier and also since the Upper Cretaceous times, the whole area has been subsiding. Structurally, the field is very complex and can be divided into three regions; the 'Domino System' bounded by low dipping rotated fault blocks in the west, a horst in the east, both sandwiching an 'Adaptation zone' characterized by fold structures (Fossen and Hesthammer 1998). The Domino System contains fault blocks trending N-S and dips of 30 degrees which are compartmentalized by smaller faults with variable trends (Fossen and Hesthammer 1998).…”

Section: Regional Geology and Tectonismmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…2). Fossen and Hesthammer (1998) mentioned that its extensional history dated back to the Devonian phase succeeding the Caledonian collision. It was also mentioned that the rifting phases consisted of two, the Permo-Triassic and the Late Jurassic phases, with the latter being more apparent in seismic data.…”

Section: Regional Geology and Tectonismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Structurally, the field is very complex and can be divided into three regions; the 'Domino System' bounded by low dipping rotated fault blocks in the west, a horst in the east, both sandwiching an 'Adaptation zone' characterized by fold structures (Fossen and Hesthammer 1998). The Domino System contains fault blocks trending N-S and dips of 30 degrees which are compartmentalized by smaller faults with variable trends (Fossen and Hesthammer 1998). The horst on the eastern side slopes downward to the west (Fig.…”

Section: Regional Geology and Tectonismmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

2D and 3D seismic simulation for fault modeling: exploratory revision from the Gullfaks field

Siddiqui

Mathew

Menier

et al. 2016

J Petrol Explor Prod Technol

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2D and 3D seismic data have emerged as a key tool in the oil and gas industry to visualize and understand subsurface morphology and boundaries. In addition to providing excellent structural images, the dense sampling of 2D and 3D survey can sometimes make it possible to map reservoir quality and the distribution of hydrocarbon with well-marked limitations. Here we use 2D and 3D seismic data to map and interpret basic structures and fault lines to construct 2D and 3D base fault models of the Gullfaks field, while avoiding common pitfalls. This work also highlights important concepts and principles that allow selection, interpretation and simulation of particular areas containing hydrocarbon traps through the comparison of different maps such as time structure, amplitude and coherence. The field covers an area of approximately 50 km 2 entirely confined within block 34/10 in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The area of the seismic lines extends to 4875 m laterally and vertically up to 4.5 s. Based on all the selected horizons, constructed maps and dominant fault construction models (2D and 3D), we show the presence of a major fault that cuts five horizons of the area of interest. The structural features include antiform and a set of extensional faults with master, antithetic and synthetic faults with opposite sense of shear (dip direction and angle *60°). Ductile deformation at the bottom of seismic lines shows the fluctuation of amplitude of acoustic signals in seismic lines. Our results demonstrate uplift along the major fault during extension indicated by chaotic distortion at the bottom, which reveals a gas trap. In the Gullfaks field, termination of fault movement and subsequent deformation appears to have occurred for a long period of time. This illustrates the use of 2D and 3D visualization with horizon attributes that can conveniently provide massive amounts of data which elucidates the trapping mechanism of faults.

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Rapid spatiotemporal variations in rift structure during development of the Corinth Rift, central Greece

et al. 2016

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The Corinth Rift, central Greece, enables analysis of early rift development as it is young (<5 Ma) and highly active and its full history is recorded at high resolution by sedimentary systems. A complete compilation of marine geophysical data, complemented by onshore data, is used to develop a high-resolution chronostratigraphy and detailed fault history for the offshore Corinth Rift, integrating interpretations and reconciling previous discrepancies. Rift migration and localization of deformation have been significant within the rift since inception. Over the last circa 2 Myr the rift transitioned from a spatially complex rift to a uniform asymmetric rift, but this transition did not occur synchronously along strike. Isochore maps at circa 100 kyr intervals illustrate a change in fault polarity within the short interval circa 620-340 ka, characterized by progressive transfer of activity from major south dipping faults to north dipping faults and southward migration of discrete depocenters at~30 m/kyr. Since circa 340 ka there has been localization and linkage of the dominant north dipping border fault system along the southern rift margin, demonstrated by lateral growth of discrete depocenters at~40 m/kyr. A single central depocenter formed by circa 130 ka, indicating full fault linkage. These results indicate that rift localization is progressive (not instantaneous) and can be synchronous once a rift border fault system is established. This study illustrates that development processes within young rifts occur at 100 kyr timescales, including rapid changes in rift symmetry and growth and linkage of major rift faults.

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Structural geology of the Gullfaks Field, northern North Sea

Cited by 47 publications

References 27 publications

Structural geology of the Huldra Field, northern North Sea—a major tilted fault block at the eastern edge of the Horda Platform

Structural geology of the Huldra Field, northern North Sea—a major tilted fault block at the eastern edge of the Horda Platform

2D and 3D seismic simulation for fault modeling: exploratory revision from the Gullfaks field

Rapid spatiotemporal variations in rift structure during development of the Corinth Rift, central Greece

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