GeoResources - Reservoir-Outcrop Analogue Sobrarbe Delta

Content
Hydrocarbon E&P
Geothermal Energy
Metallic Ore Resources
Fundamental Research
Industry Sponsorship
Virtual Geology
Contact
Project Login
Projects / Fundamental Research / Basin Development ... / Outcrop Analogue, Sobrarbe Delta, Abstract ...
 
 

The Reservoir-Outcrop Analogue Sobrarbe Delta - Sequence Stratigraphy, Reservoir Geometry and Characterization
(Eocene, Ainsa Basin, Northern Spain)

  
  Abstract  
     
     

   
     
     
  Scientists
Torben Kissner, GeoResources and University of Heidelberg
Rainer Zühlke, GeoResources and University of Heidelberg
  
     
  Abstract
The Eocene (Middle-Late Lutetian) Sobrarbe Delta System developed at the southern margin of the Ainsa piggy-back basin, in the Pyrenees Foreland Basin, northeastern Spain. Towards the foreland basin axis, the Sobrarbe Delta Systems interfingers with the basinal succession of the San Vincente Formation. It comprises the Ainsa Turbidite Channel System, which ranks among the best studied outcrop examples of confined turbidite deposition. Development of the Pyrenees Foreland Basin and the Sobrarbe Delta Systems is closely related to the oblique collision of the Eurasian plate and the Iberian micro-plate.

Pre-Middle to -Late Lutetian sediment input to the Ainsa basin was derived from the eastern Tremp basin, which started to develop and close earlier than the Ainsa Basin. At this time, the Ainsa basin was in an underfilled foredeep basin stage with predominantly axial transport (ESE-WNW). When significant compression extended further to the west, the Ainsa piggy-back basin developed. It was bounded by the frontal thrust of the Pyrenean orogen (N), the southern thrust ramp of the piggy-back basin (S, Sierras Marginales) and two lateral structural ramps (E, W; Mediano-, Boltana-Anticline). Previous axial sediment transport was finished and replaced by transversal sediment input from the outer basin margin, the SSE to NNW prograding Sobrarbe Delta Systems. Sediment input from the Pyrenean orogen was subordinate during the Middle-Late Lutetian and is located north of the interest area. The development of the Sobrarbe Delta Systems marks the change from the underfilled foredeep basin stage to the sediment-balanced and overfilled basin stage.

While the Sobrarbe Delta Systems developed completely within the piggy-back basin, it remained almost completely unaffected by internal deformation. Post-Eocene deformation is restricted to large 10 km-scale gentle folding in a south-dipping (5-10°) syncline (Buil Syncline). Very large, seismic-scale and laterally continuous exposure over up to 25 km in 2D and 5 km in 3D allow high-resolution studies in sequence stratigraphy, reservoir architecture and lateral/vertical heterogeneities in reservoir properties. A large number of MSc theses has been performed at the University of Heidelberg and provide a spatially extensive and detailed basic dataset for this project.

Methodological approaches include (i) measuring of vertical section with focus on metre-scale cycles; (ii) physical tracing of bounding surfaces; (iii) geometrical analysis of reservoir-analogue sediment bodies; (iii) spectral GR measurement; (iv) high-resolution satellite image analysis; (v) measurement of petrophysical properties. Key objective is a high-resolution 2D/3D reservoir-outcrop analogue model for seismic and fluid-flow modeling.
  


 
  Links
Virtual Field Trip
  
 
 
     
Drucken Kontakt