Porosity and pressure: Role of compaction disequilibrium in the development of geopressures in a Gulf Coast Pleistocene basin
Journal Article
·
· Geology; (United States)
- Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
Measured pressures in Pleistocene strata of the Eugene Island block 330 area of offshore Louisiana reach approx. nine-tenths of the lithostatic pressures below 2 km depth; three-fourths of these geopressures are due to compaction disequilibrium. We show the relation between effective stress and porosity for compacting sediments to be exponential in shallow, normally pressured strata, then use the relation to calculate fluid pressure at depth in geopressured strata. Measured pressures below 2 km exceed our predicted values. A plot of effective stress vs. porosity demonstrates that compaction disequilibrium accounts for about three-quarters of the overpressures. We infer that the remainder must be due to pore-pressure generation at depth that occurred after the rocks reached their present porosity. 22 refs., 5 figs.
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC22-93BC14961
- OSTI ID:
- 6579350
- Journal Information:
- Geology; (United States), Journal Name: Geology; (United States) Vol. 23:1; ISSN 0091-7613; ISSN GLGYBA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990200 -- Mathematics & Computers
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CARIBBEAN SEA
CENOZOIC ERA
COMPACTING
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC STRATA
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GULF OF MEXICO
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PLEISTOCENE EPOCH
POROSITY
PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
QUATERNARY PERIOD
ROCKS
SEAS
SEDIMENTS
STRESSES
SURFACE WATERS
580000* -- Geosciences
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990200 -- Mathematics & Computers
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CARIBBEAN SEA
CENOZOIC ERA
COMPACTING
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC STRATA
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GULF OF MEXICO
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PLEISTOCENE EPOCH
POROSITY
PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
QUATERNARY PERIOD
ROCKS
SEAS
SEDIMENTS
STRESSES
SURFACE WATERS