Natural fractures can improve the permeability of tight rock and are therefore often targeted by oil wells. But where do they occur in the reservoir and how do we find them ?
Carbonates, Fractures
Chicken-wire fractures are common in anhydrite and chalk. This blog looks at some of their key features and provides examples from rock core.
Faults, slickenlines
This blog shows that slickenlines are scratches on the surfaces of shear fractures. The state of stress on a shear fracture can be predicted by Mohr circles.
Fractures, Geothermal
This blog addresses why wettability is important in the recovery of oil from fractured chalks.
There are 2 basic types of natural fractures that need to be studied when characterising naturally fractured reservoirs - whether it be a geothermal or hydrocarbon reservoir. These are extension and shear fractures.
