Structural fairway prospectivity
| Exploring for Oil and Gas Traps | |
| |
| Series | Treatise in Petroleum Geology |
|---|---|
| Part | Predicting the occurrence of oil and gas traps |
| Chapter | Exploring for structural traps |
| Author | R.A. Nelson, T.L. Patton, S. Serra |
| Link | Web page |
| Store | AAPG Store |
Definition
Certain structural domains or specific portions of those domains provide the greatest opportunities for exploration success. Those areas are called prospective structural fairways. In a prospective structural fairway, the structural history, trap configuration, and major elements of the hydrocarbon system combine to present a likely scenario for an economic accumulation of hydrocarbons.
Important considerations in identifying a prospective structural fairway are as follows:
- Structural style
- Tectonic overburden or denudation
- Trap evolution and timing
- Presence of source and reservoir facies
- Timing of hydrocarbon generation and migration
Assessing fairway prospectivity
The above considerations and their interdependencies, along with the following data sources, help us assess which structural fairways might be prospective:
- Regional geologic data (tops, cross sections, maps)
- Natural and productive analogs of structures
- Reconnaissance seismic data
- Potential fields
- Remote sensing data (satellite and air photo)
- Surface geologic data
- Fabric analysis
- Tectonic subsidence analysis
- Surveys for remote detection of hydrocarbons
If the structural fairway has most, if not all, of the major components needed for a viable hydrocarbon system, the next step is to identify structural leads and convert these to prospects.
See also
- Structural exploration workflow
- Tectonic setting
- Structural domains
- Structural lead and prospect delineation
- Structural exploration:location selection
- Structural maps and cross sections
- Regional maps and cross sections
- Cross section
- Structural exploration: thrust belt example
External links
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