Simon Virgo

The evolution of crack seal vein and fracture networks in an evolving stress field: Insights from Discrete Element Models of fracture sealing

Veins are ubiquitous in upper and middle crustal rocks. Due to strength and stiffness contrast to the host rock, veins can influence crack propagation. Here we present Discrete Element Models to investigate crack-vein interactions by simulating cycles of fracturing of a rock mass, sealing the cracks to form veins, and refracturing the rock mass after rotating the stress field. We observe different styles of interaction between new fractures and existing veins, depending on the strength ratio between vein and host rock and on the changes in the stress field between the different deformation stages. If the orientation of stress field does not change between deformation stages, ataxial crack seal veins are produced if the veins are weak and a bundle of subparallel microveins if the veins are strong. If the stress field is rotated between deformation stages, the interactions include reactivation, fracture deflection, and crosscutting. Reactivation of weak veins occurs even if the vein orientation is highly unfavorable relative to the stress field. Relays of fractures between reactivated veins form at a higher angle to the veins than expected. This demonstrates that the orientation of secondary veins does not reflect the regional stress field in a simple manner and that veins can strongly influence fracture connectivity, with implications for paleostress analysis and basin modeling. Simulation results compare well with field examples of multiphase vein networks in carbonates from Jebel Akhdar, Oman.

The Jabal Akhdar dome in the Oman Mountains: Evolution of a dynamic fracture system

The Mesozoic succession of the Jabal Akhdar dome in the Oman Mountains hosts complex networks of fractures and veins in carbonates, which are a clear example of dynamic fracture opening and sealing in a highly overpressured system. The area underwent several tectonic events during the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic, including the obduction of the Samail ophiolite and Hawasina nappes, followed by uplift and compression due to the Arabia-Eurasia convergence. This study presents the results of an extensive tectonic survey, and correlates subseismic-scale structures in Jabal Akhdar (faults, fractures, veins and stylolites) with the main tectonic events in the Northeastern Arabian plate. As some of the studied formations host large oil reserves in neighboring areas, determining the relative timing of these events in the exhumed rocks is important to understand hydrocarbon distribution and fracture patterns in these reservoirs. The formation of early veins and stylolites in the Oman Mountains is followed by top-to-the-South layer-parallel shearing that may be associated with the obduction of the Samail and Hawasina nappes. This compressional tectonic event is followed by normal (dip-slip) to oblique-slip faults and veins. Top-to-the-Northeast layer-parallel shearing, which corresponds to the first stage of exhumation of the autochthonous rocks offsets these structures. Our new data indicate that this first phase of events is overprinted by complex strike-slip networks of veins and fractures, as well as by the reactivation and onset of seismic-scale faults. Strike-slip structures belong to three distinct events. The first one (NW-SE-oriented compression) is probably associated with the oblique collision of the Indian plate against the Arabian platform during the Late Campanian to the Mid Eocene. The second event (E-W-oriented compression) is likely to have been formed during the Late Oligocene-Middle Miocene during uplift. The last event (NE-SW-oriented compression) probably took place during the Miocene-Pliocene. Structures of the first two strike-slip events have the same orientation as seismic-scale faults observed in the subsurface of Oman and Abu Dhabi. In addition, increasing vein intensity towards the top of the autochthonous formations in the Oman mountains, as well as the small angle between conjugate vein sets, indicate that high fluid pressures that are thought to be present during strike-slip deformation.

Fracture network evaluation program (FraNEP): A software for analyzing 2D fracture trace-line maps

Fractures, such as joints, faults and veins, strongly influence the transport of fluids through rocks by either enhancing or inhibiting flow. Techniques used for the automatic detection of lineaments from satellite images and aerial photographs, LIDAR technologies and borehole televiewers significantly enhanced data acquisition. The analysis of such data is often performed manually or with different analysis software. Here we present a novel program for the analysis of 2D fracture networks called FraNEP (Fracture Network Evaluation Program). The program was developed using Visual Basic for Applications in Microsoft Excel(TM) and combines features from different existing software and characterization techniques. The main novelty of FraNEP is the possibility to analyse trace-line maps of fracture networks applying the (1) scanline sampling, (2) window sampling or (3) circular scanline and window method, without the need of switching programs. Additionally, binning problems are avoided by using cumulative distributions, rather than probability density functions. FraNEP is a time-efficient tool for the characterisation of fracture network parameters, such as density, intensity and mean length. Furthermore, fracture strikes can be visualized using rose diagrams and a fitting routine evaluates the distribution of fracture lengths. As an example of its application, we use FraNEP to analyse a case study of lineament data from a satellite image of the Oman Mountains.

Virtual Petrography (ViP) - A virtual microscope for the geosciences

Virtual Microscopy has advanced in recent years to a powerful versatile tool in the life sciences with many applications in research and teaching. We present the first virtual microscopy platform especially designed for geoscience applications. It was developed in a collaboration between RWTH Aachen University and Fraunhofer FIT under consideration of the demands of modern petrography. The system consists of a fully automated polarisation microscope that can scan entire thin sections in very high resolution under various polarisation and illumination conditions to capture and digitise all information that could be extracted from the section with classical polarised microscopy. The data is processed to extract the polarisation behaviour of each pixel as continuous functions that are fitted for each pixel based on images taken under different polarisation angles. This information is stored in a newly developed format that allows fast access and offers a very good degree of compression.

The influence of loading conditions on fracture initiation, propagation, and interaction in rocks with veins: Results from a comparative Discrete Element Method study

We present the results of a comparative study of loading conditions on the interactions between extension fractures and veins. We model the fracture behavior of brittle discrete element materials each containing a tabular vein body of variable orientation and strength in two different loading conditions. The first is uniaxial tension, applied with servo-controlled sidewalls. The second is a boudinage boundary condition in which a tensile triaxial stress state is induced in the brittle model volume by quasi-viscous extensional deformation in the adjacent layers. Most of the fracture- vein interactions observed in uniaxial tension also exists in boudinage boundary conditions. However, the importance of each interaction mechanism for a given configuration of relative strength and misorientation of the vein may differ according to the loading mechanism. Nucleation and internal deflection is under both boundary conditions the dominating fracture-vein interaction style in weak veins. In uniaxial tension models, strong veins tend to alter the fracture path by external deflection, while under boudinage loading these veins are more likely overcome by the fracture step over mechanism. Dynamic bifurcation of fractures was observed in uniaxial tension models but never for boudinage boundary conditions. This is because the acceleration of fracture tips in these conditions is suppressed by interaction with distributed fractures as well as viscous damping by the neighboring layers.

Standardized Automated Multiscale Imaging Technologies to Quantify Microstructure and Petrophysical Properties in a Range of Rock Types

Rocks are heterogeneous at all scales in composition, microstructure and petrophysical properties. Starting from representative sampling and quantifying microstructure together with measurement of rock properties in the laboratory, we show that it is necessary to treat different rock types in specially tailored workflows. Our multiscale imaging technology combines the advantages of a novel virtual polarizing microscopy (ViP) with high-resolution scanning electron microscopy on broad-ion-beam sputtered sample surfaces (BIB-SEM). Automated image registration and segmentation allows a fast and reliable analysis of the microstructural features as well as the assessment of petrophysical properties. This unique combination of methods allows a comprehensive analysis of various rock types including identification of diagenetic features and the quantification of pore size distribution and effective porosity from the cm to nm- scale as shown for different carbonates and tight siliciclastic rocks. Results were used to develop new porosity models that can be used for upscaling and permeability assessment in digital rock models.