− | In settings with extreme overpressure, pore-water pressure approaches the pressure required for natural hydraulic fracturing. If the petroleum column is thick enough, the sum of the [[capillary pressure]] and fluid pressure can equal or exceed the pressure needed to fracture the rock. The result is natural hydraulic fracturing: the seal becomes hydro-fractured and the petroleum leaks. | + | In settings with extreme overpressure, pore-water pressure approaches the pressure required for natural hydraulic fracturing. If the petroleum column is thick enough, the sum of the [[capillary pressure]] and fluid pressure can equal or exceed the pressure needed to [[fracture]] the rock. The result is natural hydraulic fracturing: the seal becomes hydro-fractured and the petroleum leaks. |