Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Reserves
Field/Structure Reservoir Interval and Age Depositional Environment Reservoir Style and Scale of Intrusion (× 106 BOE**) Key References
Harding (UK) Mid-Eocene Deep-water basin-floor setting Intrareservoir shales crosscut by intrusions; 280 Dixon et al. (1995);
crestal intrusions Bergslien (2002)
Gryphon (UK) Balder Formation (early Eocene) Deep-water slope setting Intrareservoir shales crosscut by intrusions; 117 Purvis et al. (2002);
crestal intrusions Lonergan et al. (2007)
Chestnut (UK) Alba/Chestnut sequence Deep-water slope and Remobilized depositional sandstones; conical 25 Huuse et al. (2005)
(upper Eocene) basin-floor setting intrusions in reservoir underburden
Volund (Norway) Sele, Balder, Horda formations Deep-water slope setting Saucer-shape sandstone intrusion NA** Szarawarska et al. (2010)
(early Eocene)
Balder (Norway) Lista, Hermod, Balder formations Deep-water basin-floor setting Low-angle dikes at channel margins; 186 Briedis et al. (2007);
(Paleocene–early Eocene) crestal intrusions; conical intrusions Wild and Briedis (2010)
Nini area (Denmark) Våle, Lista, Balder formations Deep-water slope setting Low-angle dikes at margins of remobilized NA Svendsen et al. (2010)
(late Paleocene–early Eocene) sandstone; intrachalk sands; fault-zone
injectites
Alba (UK) Alba Formation (upper Eocene) Deep-water slope setting Low-angle dikes at channel margins; 460 Duranti and Hurst (2004);
crestal intrusions Fretwell et al. (2007);
Huuse et al. (2007)
Sleipner Øst (Norway) Ty Formation (lower Paleocene) Deep-water basin-floor setting Intrareservoir shales crosscut by intrusions NA Satur and Hurst (2007)
Danica (UK) Sele, Balder, Horda formations Deep-water slope setting Low-angle dikes at channel margins; NA Szarawarska et al. (2010)
(early Eocene) crestal intrusions
Jotun (Norway) Heimdal Formation (Paleocene) Deep-water basin-floor setting Intrareservoir shales crosscut by intrusions; 203 Guargena et al. (2007)
crestal intrusions
Hamsun (Norway) Sele, Balder formations Deep-water slope and Sandstone-injectite complex of low-and NA De Boer et al. (2007)
(early Eocene) basin-floor setting high-angle dikes and sills
Scott et al.
Cecile (Denmark) Våle Formation (late Deep-water slope setting Dome-shape sandstone injection; crestal NA Hamberg et al. (2007)
Paleocene–early Eocene) intrusions
*Reserve estimates are compiled from Hurst et al. (2005, table 1) and may not represent present-day estimates.
**BOE = barrels of oil equivalent; NA = not applicable.
311
and pressure communication in a field with re- sections in the northern San Francisco area, Sacra-
gionally developed intra- and interreservoir mud- mento Basin, and San Joaquin Basin (Thompson
stones (Hurst et al., 2007; Satur and Hurst, 2007). et al., 1999, 2007; Huuse et al., 2004; Vigorito et al.,
Therefore, incorporating their sedimentologic and 2008; Scott et al., 2009). Basin-scale overpressure
petrophysical properties into 3-D reservoir models linked to eastward subduction has been measured
is important (Briedis et al., 2007). This process has in oil and gas fields in both the San Joaquin and
been inhibited by the lack of outcrop analog data, Sacramento basins (Berry, 1973; McPherson and
which limits accurate subsurface reservoir char- Garven, 1999). The occurrence of sand injectites
acterization and geologic modeling (Purvis et al., within these basins may reflect tectonically induced
2002; Briedis et al., 2007); in particular, thickness, basin-scale fluid overpressure. The PGIC is found
detailed architecture, textures, and porosity and per- within the upper Mesozoic strata of the Great Val-
meability (e.g., vertical-to-horizontal ratios; Hurst ley sequence (GVS). The GVS filled the forearc
and Buller, 1984; Duranti et al., 2002) are poorly basin from the east during the Cretaceous by ero-
constrained. As a consequence, spurious reservoir sion of abruptly exhumed plutonic rocks in the
models may be generated, which in turn leads to southern Sierra Nevada magmatic arc from the
ambiguous and inaccurate reserve estimates and early to mid-Maastrichtian, and from the late to
inappropriate field developments. the end of the Maastrichtian, sediment was derived
Here, we provide an outcrop-based reservoir from the west from exhumation of the Franciscan
characterization of the kilometer-scale Panoche giant complex (Dickinson, 1976; Ingersoll, 1979, 1983;
injection complex (Figure 1A), which extends over DeGraff-Surpless et al., 2002; Mitchell et al., 2010).
an area of approximately 400 km2 (154 mi2) in the These petrotectonic provinces formed concurrently
San Joaquin Basin, central California. Reservoir ar- during Pacific plate subduction beginning in the
chitecture and characteristics are investigated so Late Jurassic until the transformation of the sub-
that an enhanced appreciation is possible of their duction zone into a transform margin during the late
significance in numerical geologic models. The fo- Cenozoic (Atwater and Molnar, 1973; Dickinson
cus of this article is on the relationship between and Seely, 1979).
sandstone intrusion distribution, sandstone-body The PGIC extends across the Panoche and Mo-
connectivity, architecture, microtexture, and poros- reno formations of the GVS (Figure 1B). The Pa-
ity and permeability. This study provides a compre- noche Formation is a sandstone-rich succession that
hensive database whereby readers can access data evolves from submarine turbidite-fan deposits to
on reservoir architecture (geometry, lithologic char- amalgamated channelized-fan complexes in its up-
acter, and net to gross [N/G]) and characteristics permost part (Ingersoll, 1979, 1983). In the upper-
(qualitative and quantitative petrography, and po- most parts, the sandstone units exhibit evidence
rosity and permeability) of sandstone intrusions and of channeling (50–100 m [164–328 ft] thick and
remobilized sandstones (depositional units mod- 500–2500 m [1640–8202 ft] long), suggesting de-
ified by sand fluidization) and locate this within position in a proximal fan environment (Ingersoll,
the injectite complex and regional stratigraphy 1979). The Moreno Formation unconformably over-
(Appendices 1–16; see AAPG Datashare 46 at lies the Panoche Formation and consists of four
www.aapg.org/datashare). members. The Dosados Member is an approxi-
mately 60-m (197-ft)–thick sequence of isolated
base-of-slope channel deposits (10–40 m [33–131 ft]
thick and 100–200 m [328–656 ft] wide) crosscut by
GEOLOGIC SETTING sandstone dikes. The Tierra Loma Shale Member is
an approximately 350-m (1148-ft)–thick sequence
Reservoir-scale sand-injectite outcrops including of organic-rich, dark-brown mudstone deposited
the Panoche giant injection complex (PGIC) are on the lower to middle slope under suboxic con-
reported from California in different stratigraphic ditions (McGuire, 1988), and the overlying Marca
Shale Member is an approximately 100-m (328-ft)– sea level highstands, the base of which is a flooding
thick pale-gray diatomaceous mudstone deposited surface. At the top of the sequence is the Dos Palos
on the upper slope during times of upwelling during Shale Member, which is an approximately 175-m
(574-ft)–thick mudstone with minor siltstones de- seep carbonates (Schwartz et al., 2003; Minisini and
posited on the upper slope to the shelf edge and Schwartz, 2006; Vigorito et al., 2008).
intercalated with the Cima Sandstone Lentil sand- Overall, the stratigraphic section from the
stones that consist of sandstone extrudites and cold- lowermost Panoche Formation to the uppermost
Figure 3. The lithostratigraphy, thickness, net-to-gross (N/G) ratio, and proportions of architectural elements in reservoir units (1–4) of
the northern and transitional Panoche giant injectite complex. Because the base of the Marca Shale Member is a flooding surface, it has
been used as a datum for correlating logged sections. Each unit has a different proportion of undeformed depositional units, remobilized
parent sandstone units, sandstone sills, low-angle dikes, sandstone extrudites, and host mudstones: Unit 1 is characterized by remobilized
depositional sandstones in the Panoche Formation and Dosados Member, which acted as parent units that source fluids and sand to the
overlying intrusive complex (Vigorito et al., 2008). Unit 1 is characterized by high N/G ratios; unit 2 is dominated by sandstone sills (4–
30%) and low-angle dikes (<1–17%) in the Dosados and Tierra Loma members and has high N/G ratios (0.04–0.30 sandstone); unit 3 is
dominated exclusively by high-angle dikes in the upper Tierra Loma Shale Member, Marca Shale Member, and the Dos Palos Shale Member
and has consistently low N/G ratios (<0.01–0.05, see Appendix 12 for raw data); and unit 4 is defined by extrusive sandstone associated with
carbonate cold-seep communities in the Dos Palos Shale Member (Schwartz et al., 2003). MG = Moreno Gulch; NoC = No Name Canyon;
Mc = Marca Canyon; Ca = Capita Canyon; Ro = Rosseta Canyon; Do = Dosados Canyon; Es = Escapardo Canyon; RA = Right Angle Canyon;
WT = West Tumey; PUB = parent unit belt; IB = intrusive belt; EB = extrusive belt; LAD = low-angle dikes; MLS = multilayer sill; STS =
staggered sill; SLT = thin-bedded slope turbidites; STP = stepped sill; RMB = remobilized slope channel; Fm = Formation; Mbr = Member.
Figure 4. The external geometry and internal sedimentary structure of remobilized depositional sandstones and sandstone intrusions
of unit 1; lithologies represented in the photographs are mudstone (dark brown) and sandstone (light brown). (A) A high-angle dike
approximately 600 m (197 ft) long crosscuts three vertically staked sandstone units separated by mudstone within the upper Panoche
Formation: (i) the dike (dashed black line) connects depositional sandstones separated by thick (30 m [98 ft]) host mudstones at different
stratigraphic levels; (ii) line-drawing interpretation of (i). The dike splits and rejoins along its course. Upper Panoche Formation, Capita
Canyon (Ca). (B) A closer view of a 1.0- to 2.0-m (3.3–6.6-ft)–thick high-angle dike from Capita Canyon. (C) Detail of the sharp, planar
dike margin (dashed white line). Fluid-escape structures occur at the margin. (D) Remobilized sandstones in unit 1: (i) sandstone bodies
displaying winglike geometries at their lateral margins (white arrows) separated by a raft of mudstone (gray arrow); (ii) line drawing of
(i). High-angle dikes (black arrows) are connected to the upper margins of the parent unit, resulting in very good vertical connectivity.
Dosados Member, Moreno Gulch (MG). (E) Internal structure of remobilized depositional sandstones: (i) structureless sandstones
crosscut by a high-angle dike. The sandstone body (0.03 m [0.098 ft] thick) has a sharp contact; (ii) interpretation of (i). PUB = parent unit
belt; IB = intrusive belt; EB = extrusive belt.
commonly sharp (Figure 4B, C). In the Dosados sandstones (cf. black intrusions in Figure 4Dii).
Member, channelized sandstones are extensively Internally, the depositional sandstones are crosscut
remobilized where, at the margins and sometimes by dikes (Figure 4Ei, ii).
from the top of the channelized unit, low-angle
dikes (30–40° relative to bedding) form 5- to 15-m
(16–49-ft)–thick winglike projections (white ar- Unit 2
rows, Figure 4Di, ii), resulting in isolated rafts of
host mudstone (gray arrow). These dikes enhance This unit is a 100- to 290-m (328–951-ft)–thick
the lateral and vertical connectivity of channelized mudstone-rich interval characterized by sandstone
Figure 5. Unit 2. (A) Staggered sills defined by sharp planar margins that are laterally and vertically offset by high-angle dikes: (ii) in-
terpretation of (i). Tierra Loma Shale Member, Marca Canyon (Mc). (B) A stepped composite sill (steps, >0.3 m [0.98 ft] in height; black
arrow). This sill arrangement is shown in Hurst et al. (2007, their figures 18, 19). Tierra Loma Shale Member, Escapardo Canyon (Es). (C)
Overview of a stepped sill with an erosional (scalloped; Figure 5D) upper margin and multilayered lower margin interbedded with thin-
bedded slope turbidites. In places, the sill is more than 6 m (19.7 ft) thick and, at outcrop, extends more than 440 m (1444 ft) laterally.
Tierra Loma Shale Member, No Name Canyon (NoC). (D) Convex-upward sandstone intrusions (white line) that cut into the overlying host
mudstone, termed “scallops” (SC; sensu Hurst et al., 2005): (i) a similar projection is shown in Vigorito et al. (2008, their figure 3B); (ii) line
drawing of a scallop; (iii) detail of the discordant margin. The SC are characterized by a sandstone intrusion that forms steep (70–80°),
discordant, and erosional flanks and an upper crest that cuts as much as 2 m (6.6 ft) (white line) of overlying host mudstone. (E) Multilayer
sills with individual thickness of 0.01 to 0.3 m (0.033–0.98 ft). Individual sills are separated by thin (0.05–0.2 m [0.16–0.66 ft] thick) rafts of
host mudstone. Tierra Loma Shale Member, Marca Canyon (Mc). Black boxes locate the permeability maps shown in Figure 12.
sills within the Dosados and Tierra Loma mem- voir units 2 and 3. The sills have three geometries,
bers (Figures 2, 3); the average N/G ratio is 0.19. from stratigraphically deeper to shallower, stag-
The greatest proportions of sandstone-rich reser- gered (Figure 5A), stepped (Figure 5B, C, D), and
voir facies are sills (average, 13%) and low-angle multilayer (Figure 5E).
dikes (average, 5%). Low-angle dikes are locally Staggered sills have intermediate thickness
present and tend to depart at high angles (>40°) (<1.0 m [3.3 ft]) and extend laterally <10 m (33 ft)
from remobilized channelized sandstones in unit 1 (Figure 5A). Furthermore, upsection stepped com-
and become lower angle (5–17°) upward in reser- posite sills that are thicker (as much as 11.0 m
[36 ft]) and more laterally continuous (>400 m 2-m (3.3–6.6-ft)–thick upper main sill and sev-
[1312 ft] long), with stepped, erosive upper and eral lower centimeter-thick (0.01–0.1 m [0.033–
lower margins (Figure 5B, C, D), occur. The sill 0.33 ft]) multilayered sills. The main sill is con-
complex is composed of an approximately 1- to nected to dikes (black lines, Figure 5B). High-angle
4–13 md
HAD** HAD HAD LAD** LAD HAD HAD HAD MLS** MLS
V, 56 md W, <1 (19)%;
3 md
HAD MLS
U, 22 (31)%; V, 14 (14)%; W, 9 md X, 32 (32)%; Z, 14 md AA, 2 md BB, 21 md CC, 182 md DD, 3 (9)%; EE, 10 (10)%;
1147 md 296 md 4068 md 1 md 76 md
LAD HAD HAD STS** HAD HAD HAD MLS HAD HAD
K, 8 (9)%; L, 14 (15)%; M, 53–57 md N, 5–32 O, 11–28 P, 18 (19)%; Q, 18 (18)%; R, 4–5 (4–5)%; S, 367 md T, 13 (13)%;
56 md 294 md (5–32)%; (28–31)%; 220 md 302 md 131–302 md 131 md
190–1655 md 727 md
STS STS STS STS LAD LAD LAD LAD LAD LAD
sandstone are labeled with the corresponding letter along canyon sections in Figure 2, allowing the reservoir characteristics of the sample to be located within the injectite complex and regional stratigraphy.
**HAD = high-angle dike; LAD = low-angle dike; MLS = multilayer sill; STP = steeped sill; PFC = proximal-fan channelized sandstones; RLC = remobilized lower slope channelized sandstones; STS = staggered sill.
325
Table 3. Overview of the Mean Mineral Composition and Petrographic Characteristics of the Panoche Giant Injection Complex Sandstones*
dikes crosscut the stratigraphy and connect to the High-angle sandstone dikes range in thickness
lower and upper margins of the sill (black lines, from less than 0.1 to more than 0.6 m (0.33–1.97 ft),
Figure 5C). Close to the upper contact of unit 2, crosscut host mudstones at 80 to 90° (relative to
multilayer sills are located along or near the strat- bedding), and are laterally continuous, in places
igraphic horizon where thin-bedded, finer grained crosscutting more than 200 m (656 ft) of strati-
depositional sandstone units are found (Figure 2). graphic section, thereby producing excellent ver-
The sills tend to be thin (0.01–0.3 m [0.033– tical but limited lateral connectivity (Figure 7A, B).
0.98 ft] thick) and laterally continuous (10–100 m The dikes are en echelon in the lower 60 to 80 m
[33–328 ft] wide), emanate from a high-angle dike (197–263 ft) and bifurcate in the upper 140 to
(black lines, Figure 5E), and are separated by 160 m (459–525 ft) (Figure 7C, D). In the upper
mudstone units. Individual sills propagate along 100 m (328 ft), the dikes eventually taper out or
bedding horizons and locally amalgamate into ap- terminate beneath sandstones in unit 4.
proximately 1-m (3.3-ft)–thick units (Figure 6).
Unit 4
Unit 3
An interval of extruded sandstone of as much as
Unit 3 is a 330- to 440-m (1083–1444-ft)–thick 30 m (98 ft) thick that overlies an unconformity
mudstone-dominated interval of exclusively high- within the Dos Palos Shale Member comprises
angle sandstone dikes within the Tierra Loma, Marca unit 4 (Figures 2, 3). Because unit 4 is defined by
Shale, and Dos Palos Shale members (Figures 2, 3). the presence of sandstone, the N/G ratio is typi-
Net-to-gross ratio is very low (average, 0.02) when cally 1. High-angle dikes connect to the base of unit
derived from logged sections; the N/G determined 4 (Figures 2, 8Ai, ii), thus establishing connectivity
from the image analysis of high-angle dikes in out- among sandstones in units 1 to 4.
crop cross sections indicates a significantly higher Sandstones in unit 4 can be as much as 30 m
N/G (average, 0.08). Locally, thick (5–12 m [16– (98 ft) thick and extend laterally for at least 100 m
39 ft]) low-angle dikes originating in unit 2 crosscut (328 ft), but in Marca Canyon, the sandstone units
this unit, for example, the dike studied in Do (black are locally thin (∼5 m [16 ft] thick) and laterally
box, Figure 2D). continuous (>30 m [98 ft] wide) (Figure 8Ai, ii).
Figure 9. Visual and minus-cement porosity distribution of sandstone intrusions. (A) Total sill and dike population. (B) Total sill population. (C) Staggered sills. (D) Stepped sills.
(E) Multilayer sills. (F) Total dike population. (G) High-angle dikes. (H) Low-angle dikes. av = average; sd = standard deviation. See Appendix 14 (AAPG Datashare 46 at www.aapg
327
Mounding is common and locally contains steeply (Figure 10B). The pore network is well connected
inclined laminae (Figure 8Bi) that dip away from (range of length, 0.1–0.3 mm [0.004–0.012 in.]
central conduits, the sandstone-filled vents of sand wide), and large pore-throat diameters (0.05–
volcanoes. 0.1 mm [0.002–0.004 in.] wide) with high visual
porosity (12–19%; Figure 9C, D) and a broad dis-
tribution of pore-throat diameters (dashed line;
RESERVOIR CHARACTERISTICS Figure 11A) are predominant. Individual quartz
grains are pervasively crosscut by fractures and are
Description sometimes fragmented into arrays of smaller clasts
(Figure 10B). Fine to medium sand-size mudstone
Sandstones were investigated from all reservoir units clasts are common constituents of multilayer sills
with sampling focused on units 2 and 3 (Figure 2; (Figure 10C) along with clay- and silt-size quartz
Table 2). All sandstones are arkosic to lithic arkosic grains that occlude pores (Figure 10D). This pro-
in composition (Table 3). A broad range of visual duces poor sorting and a poorly connected pore
porosity is present in the sandstone intrusions (2– network with small pore-throat diameters (average,
33%; Figure 9A). Permeability is variable (sd = 0.04 mm [0.002 in.] wide), low visual porosity (5%;
884 md). High-permeability data (>1000 md) are Figure 9E), and narrow pore-throat diameters (solid
predominantly from sills, whereas lower permeabil- line, Figure 11A). The abundance of silt-size and finer
ities (<0.1–100 md) are mainly from high-angle dikes grained clay particles in multilayer sills (Figure 10C,
(Table 4). D), when compared with similar grains in stepped
Forty-nine thin sections were described. The to- sills (Figure 10A, B), explains the lower perme-
tal sill population has mean visual and minus-cement ability of more than 2 orders of magnitude in the
porosities of 13 and 15%, respectively (Figure 9B). multilayer sills.
Staggered and stepped sills tend to be moderately Permeability measurements were taken on 57
sorted and loosely packed (Figure 10A) and have samples, and a positive relationship between sill
open pore space in which some grains appear to thickness and permeability is noted (Table 5). Ac-
float without obvious contact with adjacent grains quisition of permeability data from three localities
with sills of differing thickness shows that stepped against permeability, a modest positive correlation
sills have high permeability (green to blue areas; exists (r 2 = 0.69; Figure 14).
Figure 12A, B) relative to multilayer sills (red
shades, Figure 12C). Note the lower permeability Sandstone Dikes
sandstone present toward the sill margins (286–
299 md; red and orange areas, Figure 12A). The total Seventy-two thin sections were characterized. The
sill population has a mean of 629 md (Figure 13B), total dike population has mean visual and minus-
and the mean permeability of the staggered and cement porosities of 7 and 11%, respectively (Fig-
stepped sills is 586 (Figure 13C) and 1225 md ure 9F). High-angle dikes are tightly packed and
(Figure 13D), respectively. Multilayer sills have poorly sorted, with elongate grains displaying sub-
a mean permeability more than seven times less vertical alignment (dashed circles, Figure 15A). Frac-
(70 md; Figure 13E). When thickness is plotted tured quartz and feldspar grains are ubiquitous
(dashed circles, Figure 15B). Where pores are oc- shades, Figure 16A, C). By contrast, a very thick,
cluded by carbonate cement, a disconnected pore low-angle winglike dike that originates near the top
network is created with small pore-throat diameters of unit 2 and extends upward into unit 3 is char-
(0.02 mm [0.0008 in.]), low porosity (Øv = 5.0%, acterized by high permeability (4947–6304 md;
average; Figure 9G), and a narrow distribution of purple shades, Figure 16B). The total dike popu-
pore-throat diameters (solid line, Figure 11B). lation has a low average permeability (202 md;
Low-angle dikes are typically moderately sorted Figure 13F), but high- and low-angle dike popula-
and have loose grain packing with high visual po- tions have significantly different average perme-
rosity (Figure 15C, D); this creates a highly con- ability, 81 and 529 md, respectively (Figure 13G, H).
nected pore network with large pore-throat diame-
ters (>0.15 mm [0.005 in.]), moderate porosity (Øv =
11%, average; Figure 9H), and a broad pore-throat DISCUSSION
diameter distribution (dashed line, Figure 11B).
One-hundred and fifteen permeability mea- Creation of quantitative static models that are re-
surements were made by sampling along and across alistic representations of the reservoir architecture
dikes. Detailed sampling of dikes at three outcrop and pay distribution is strongly dependent on the
localities shows that high-angle dikes have perva- interpretation and integration of seismic and bore-
sive low permeability throughout (<1–122 md; red hole data. This process is enhanced by the use of
Table 5. Comparison of Thin Multilayer (<0.1 m [0.33 ft] thick) and Thick Stepped (>0.1 m [0.33 ft]) Sandstone Sills*
Petrographic Parameter Sandstone Sills (<0.1 m [0.33 ft]) Sandstone Sills (>0.1 m [0.3 ft])
Average grain size (mm) 0.16 0.20
Mean visual porosity (%) 7 16
Permeability (md) 121 911
Microtextures Abundant silt-size grains, tight Infrequent silt-size grains, loose
packing, and poor sorting packing, and well sorted
*The thin sills contain tightly packed and poorly sorted grains, resulting in a low visual porosity and low permeability. Consult Appendix 19 for sample data.
knowledge from subsurface and outcrop examples ervoir units 2 and 3. Lateral and vertical variations
that are geologically similar. As sandstone intrusions in sandstone geometry and N/G occur, and in
create cross-stratal permeable networks in other- general, the abundance of depositional sandstones
wise low-permeability strata, they are a significant and their proximity to the base of the sill zone, the
challenge when modeling their distribution and be- lithostatic equilibrium surface (Vigorito and Hurst,
havior during hydrocarbon production. The data 2010), determine the N/G of the sandstone intru-
we present from the PGIC form a basis for subsur- sions. Identification of unit 2 is important in sub-
face analogy and quantitative modeling (Figure 17; surface modeling because the main variations in
Table 6) that can enhance conceptual interpreta- reservoir volume occur in unit 2 where sandstone-
tions that infer vertical connectivity in situations rich features (N/G of as much as 0.30 sandstone)
where dikes create fieldwide pressure communica- that are commonly identified in the subsurface such
tion (Briedis et al., 2007). as sills and saucer-shape and conical intrusions oc-
cur (Hurst et al., 2003b; Szarawarska et al., 2010).
Reservoir Architecture At a smaller scale, sandstone-body geometry
varies within unit 2 where sill geometry is orga-
The tripartite organization of parent units (unit 1), nized stratigraphically (Figure 5). When examining
intrusive units (units 2 and 3), and sandstone ex- borehole data, the challenge is to identify different
trusions (unit 4) is used as the basis for defining a classes of sill, to differentiate between sills and de-
reservoir architecturally based zonation (Figures 1– positional sandstones, and to differentiate even be-
3). The intrusive unit is further subdivided into res- tween sill and dike margins simply because so little
rock is sampled. Diagnostic features of sand injec- orito and Hurst (2010; Table 1), but comparison
tion such as feeder dikes (black lines, Figure 5), with other sand injectites is compromised by the
upward erosive surfaces (white line, Figure 5D), less extensive exposure elsewhere. However, in sev-
clasts of host mudstone derived from the injectite eral cases, the tripartite organization is identified
margins (Figure 6), and meter-scale stepped ero- despite substantial differences in sandstone content.
sional margins (black arrow, Figure 5B, D) can be Our experience with the interpretation of subsur-
used collectively to differentiate sandstone intru- face sand injectites is that it is similar to the archi-
sions from depositional units. tecture in the PGIC, although the observation of
The general relevance of the tripartite organi- unit 1 (Figure 4) is typically poor (de Boer et al.,
zation to other sand injectites is discussed by Vig- 2007; Wild and Briedis, 2010).
sandy and silty turbidites appears to have had an pared to that in the staggered and stepped sills
important function in promoting the formation (Figures 12A, B; 13C, D).
of multilayer sills (see maps A–E in Figure 2), as Carbonate cement contributes to the occur-
these depositional units represent heterogeneities rence of very low visual porosity and permeability
within an otherwise mudstone-rich background of (Figures 9G; 13G; 15A, B) and a narrow pore-
unit 3. The incorporation of silt-size grains would size distribution in high-angle dikes (solid line,
occur through hydraulic mixing of fine to me- Figure 11B). Jonk et al. (2005a, b) emphasize the
dium sand-size injected grains with depositional importance of sandstone-intrusion geometry, di-
silt beds, thereby resulting in a lower permeability in mensions, and proximity to host strata in control-
the multilayer sills (Figures 12C; 13E) when com- ling carbonate cementation and suggest that cations
Figure 17. Conceptual three-dimensional (3-D) diagrams that synthesize the salient reservoir architectural elements described in this study. (A) Panoche giant injectite complex (PGIC)
reservoir geometry and volumetrics: (i) an interpretation of the 3-D geometry showing differing reservoir connectivity among architectural elements in units 1, 2, 3, and 4; (ii) estimates
of sandstone-intrusion volume in units 2 and 3 (Table 6). (B) Summary of the 3-D geometry and trends in reservoir characteristics of architectural elements in the PGIC: (i) low-angle
dike, (ii) staggered sill, (iii) stepped sill, (iv) multilayer sill, and (v) high-angle dike. PUB = parent unit belt; IB = intrusive belt; EB = extrusive belt; N/G = net to gross.
335
336
Reservoir Characterization of a Sand-Injectite Complex
Table 6. Summary of the Reservoir Characteristics and Their Trends of Architectural Elements
HAD <10–500 m 0.01–8 m f-s-s to m-s-s, Md, Mm, Average, 5%; Average, 5%; Average, 81 md; 1.4 Lateral continuity of low
(33–1640 ft) (0.03–26 ft) CC, Tgp, Pgs, VGA sd, 5% sd, 5% sd, 282 md porosity and permeability
LAD 10–100 m <1–15 m f-s-s to m-s-s, Mgp, Average, 11%; Average, 13%; Average, 529 md; 1.2 Lateral continuity of high
(33–330 ft) (3.3–49 ft) Pgs to Mgs sd, 7% sd, 9% sd, 1389 md porosity and permeability
STS 1–10 m <1 m (3.3 ft) f-s-s to m-s-s, Tgp to Average, 12%; Average, 14%; Average, 586 md; 1.3 Lateral continuity of moderate
(3.3–33 ft) Mgp, Mgs, HGA sd, 11% sd, 11% sd, 1058 md porosity and permeability
STP 10–400 m <1–12 m f-s-s to m-s-s, Md, Mgp Average, 19%; Average, 22%; Average, 1224 md; 1.8 Lateral continuity of high
(33–1312 ft) (3.3–39 ft) to Lgp, Ggs, HGA sd, 10% sd, 22% sd, 1300 md porosity and permeability
MLS 10–50 m 0.05–0.3 m s-s to m-s-s, Md, Mm, Average, 5%; Average, 6%; Average, 70 md; 1.4 Lateral continuity of very low
(33–164 ft) (0.16–0.98 ft) Tgp, Pgs sd, 4% sd, 5% sd, 64 md porosity and permeability
*HAD = high-angle dike; LAD = low-angle dike; STS = staggered sill; STP = stepped sill; sd = standard deviation; MLS = multilayer sill.
**y = lateral extension; t = thickness.
***f-s-s = fine sand-size grains; m-s-s = medium sand-size grains; s-s = silt-size grains; Md = mudstone clasts; Mm = mud matrix; CC = carbonate cement; Tgp = tight grain packing; Pgs = poor grain sorting; VGA = vertical grain
alignment; Mgp = moderate grain packing; Mgs = moderate grain sorting; HGA = horizontal grain alignment; Lgp = loose grain packing; Ggs = good grain sorting.
†
Øv = average visual porosity of element; Øm = average minus-cement porosity of element.
††
k = average permeability; kv/kh = average ratio of vertical-to-horizontal permeability.
kilometer of GRV;
**RU = reservoir unit; t = average thickness (m); l = length of outcrop exposure of reservoir unit (m); w = inferred extension of Panoche giant injection complex into the San Joaquin Basin (m); N/G = average net to gross of reservoir
partly derived from the host mudstones contributed
0.001 km3
0.02 km3
to the formation of carbonate cement. The high
Table 7. Injected Sandstone and Pore-Volume Estimates in Units 2 and 3 Based on Averaged Sedimentary Log Data in the Panoche Giant Injection Complex (cf. Figure 2)*
angle of discordance between the sandstone intru-
sions and bedding in the host strata may create a
contact that enhances fluid flux along the bedding
planes (i.e., higher permeabilities along bedding
compared to across bedding). Enhanced flux from
6.33 × 107
0.83 × 107
unit; Øv = average visual porosity of injected sandstones within the reservoir unit (%); GRV = gross rock volume (m3); ISV = intrusive sand volume (m3); IPV = intrusive pore volume (m3).
*Estimates assume that the the Panoche giant injection complex extends 11.1 km (6.9 mi) into the San Joaquin Basin (i.e., the same dimensions as the northern and transitional outcrop belt).
IPV**
the surrounding host mudstones into a dike would
carry with it cations that are conducive to carbonate
cementation. It is reasonable that a continued influx
of cations would pervasively reduce sandstone per-
meability in high-angle dikes (Figure 16A, C).
kilometer of GRV
ISV per cubic
0.19 km3
0.02 km3
Reservoir Volumetrics
5.43 × 108
1.10 × 108
and thicknesses derived from the logged sections,
ISV**
the volumes of sandstone intrusion in reservoir
units 2 and 3 in the northern and transitional PGIC
are estimated as 0.19 km3 (0.046 mi3) and 0.02 km3
(0.005 mi3), respectively, of intruded sandstone per
2.85 × 109
5.54 × 109
GRV**
cubic kilometer of gross rock volume (Table 7).
In the subsurface, sandstone intrusions are likely
to have much greater volume than the PGIC; for
example, in the North Sea, the Paleogene sand-
injectite play has hydrocarbon reserves estimated
Øv (%)**