Unknown
In:
Geology, Hannover, Elsevier, vol. 28, no. 7, pp. 595-598, pp. L15S14, (ISSN:
1340-4202)
Publication Date:
2000
Description:
Detailed seismic imaging and in situ stress and pore-pressure measurements
are used to analyze reverse-fault reactivation of a long-dormant normal fault in the
northern North Sea. Fault reactivation is caused by three factors: (1) a recent increase
in the compressional stress in the area associated with postglacial rebound, (2) locally
elevated pore pressure due to the presence of natural gas in a hydrocarbon reservoir on
the footwall side of the fault, and (3) a fault orientation that is nearly optimally
oriented for frictional slip in the present-day stress field. We demonstrate that the
combination of these three factors induces fault slippage and gas leakage along sections
of the previously sealing reservoir-bounding fault. We argue that similar pore-pressure
triggering of fault slip in the crust may occur because of the accumulation of gas
columns of, e.g., CO2 and He in the vicinity of tectonic faults.
Keywords:
Fault zone
;
Rock mechanics
;
Fluids
;
Stress
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