Structural exploration workflow

This section suggests a flow of tasks to help explorationists define a drill location, moving from the regional scale to the drill site. The discussion is from the perspective of a full-cycle exploration play, where we have a play concept and are looking for a drill location to test it.

The workflow

We begin by envisioning a structural play concept based on the thrust belt play of the U.S. Rocky Mountain area. The following workflow discussion tracks this play concept from inception to drill location through a “normal” structural exploration process, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Play concept from inception to drill location through a “normal” structural exploration process.

Effects of scale

Figure 2 Different techniques and tools described in section B.

The technical tasks we identify are often related to the scale of our observation, from regional to microscopic. Figure 2 summarizes where the different techniques and tools described in section B can be applied. This sequence of tasks, in varying degrees, applies to any structural play.

See also

• Tectonic setting
• Structural domains
• Prospective structural fairways
• Lead and prospect delineation
• Location selection
• Thrust belt example

External links

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