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Geological Society, London, Special Publications; 2003; v. 216; p. 263-281;
DOI: 10.1144/GSL.SP.2003.216.01.17
© 2003 Geological Society of London

Polygonal Faults and Sediment Mobilization

Polygonal faults in the Ormen Lange Field, Møre Basin, offshore Mid Norway

Liv M. Stuevold1, Roald B. Faerseth2, Linn Arnesen2, Joe Cartwright3 & Nicola Möller1

1 Norsk Hydro ASA, N-0246 Oslo, Norway
2 Norsk Hydro Research Centre, Sandslivn. 90, N-5020 Bergen, Norway
3 Department of Earth Sciences, Cardiff University, PO Box 914, Cardiff CF10 3YE, UK Joe{at}ocean.cf.ac.uk

3D seismic and well data from the Ormen Lange Field, Mid Norway have been used to analyse the development of a system of polygonal faults affecting the Late Cretaceous-early Paleocene reservoir. These faults have the typical properties of polygonal fault systems recognized elsewhere in mainly fine-grained successions. They grew by upward propagation from the thick, shale-prone interval of the Late Cretaceous in the Møre Basin and were reactivated during the deposition of the Balder Formation. They have throws ranging from a few metres to 80 m, are typically 1–3 km in length and have highly irregular throw distributions along strike, mainly as a result of complex fault intersection geometries. The Ormen Lange Field is the first described example of polygonal faults that completely transect a major sandstone reservoir interval. The presence of these faults has important implications for the likely production behaviour of the field. Fault seal analysis shows that they are unlikely to form juxtaposition seals, except locally, but that they may have a significant risk for clay smear seals, particularly in the lower reservoir unit.





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