Fault-controlled hydrocarbon pathways in the Monterey Formation, California
- Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
Field studies of low-permeability siliceous shale units of the Monterey Formation in the southern San Joaquin Valley and coastal California show evidence for fault control on hydrocarbon transport important for both migration and production. Shearing along preexisting discontinuities, such as bedding planes and joints, locally increases permeability in the sheared zone and surrounding fractured rock. As the rock is subjected to shear, it begins to systematically fragment and subsequently to brecciate, thereby creating interconnected voids for hydrocarbon transport. A outcrop-based conceptual model for the development of hydrocarbon pathways in the Monterey Formation is applied to the subsurface using formation microscanner (FMS) data and core. Bed-parallel breccia zones are identified in the Antelope Shale at Buena Vista Hills oil field.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 659096
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bulletin, Vol. 82, Issue 8; Other Information: PBD: Aug 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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