Regional Fractures (Joints)

Regional fractures develop over large areas of the earth’s crust with little
change in orientation, show no evidence of offset across the fracture plane, and
are always perpendicular to the bedding surfaces.

Regional fractures appear to be extension fractures with the maximum principal

stress acting in the vertical direction. The strike of the fractures is aligned with
the maximum horizontal stress at the time of fracture formation.

Regional fractures have been used to map paleo-stress fields on basin scale.

Regional fractures at the surface are commonly developed in orthogonal sets

and often change strike from formation to formation. The orthogonal set may
be due to the loading and unloading history of the rock.
Orientation of Regional Fracture System
in Piceance Basin, Colorado
Regional Fracture Network in Wyoming
Orthogonal Regional Fracture Network in Utah
Vertical Regional Extension Fractures in
Mesaverde Core, Rulison Field, Colorado
Interconnected Vertical Regional Fracture Network
in Mesaverde Sandstone Core from the
Rulison Field, Colorado
 Orientations of Natural Fractures in Core of
Mesaverde Sandstone, Rulison Field, Colorado

W E

Vertical Extension
Fractures N = 62

S
Fracture Network Map of Surface Outcrop Pavement
Shows Unidirectional Trend of Regional Fractures

10 m
N
 Regional Fracture Network Map
of Mesaverde Sandstone Surface Outcrop

0 feet 25

0 meters 8
 Fracture Network is Dominated
by Short Fractures
45
Regional Fractures
40 Mesaverde Sandstone
Piceance Basin, Colorado
35
Number of Fractures

30

25

20

15

10

0
1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40
Fracture Length (m)
 Fracture Network is Dominated
by Short Fractures
45
Regional Fractures
40 Mesaverde Sandstone
Piceance Basin, Colorado
35
Number of Fractures

30

25

20

15

10

5 y = 109x-1.27

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Fracture Length (m)
 Fracture Network is Dominated
by Short Fractures
100
90
80
Cummulative Percent

70
60
50
40
30 Regional Fractures
Mesaverde Sandstone
20 Piceance Basin, Colorado
10
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Fracture Length (m)
Regional Fracture Network Map
Regional Fracture Network and Fracture
Length Frequency Plot
Influence of Lithology and Bed Thickness
on Fracture Spacing

SAND

SHALE
Vertical Regional Extension
Fracture in Brittle Sandstone
Terminates at Bounding
Ductile Shale Layer
 Vertical Regional
Extension Fracture in
Sandstone Terminates at
Bounding Shale Layer
Mechanical Stratigraphy Affects Deformation
Behavior and Fracture Development

Sandstone
Brittle Deformation

Shale
Ductile Deformation
 Fracture Network Map of Frontier
Sandstone at Scullys Gap, Wyoming
Fracture Network Map of Frontier Sandstone at
Flaming Gorge, Wyoming
Fracture Network Map of Frontier Sandstone at
Muddy Gap, Wyoming
 Fracture Spacing Increases
with Increasing Bed Thickness
3
Regional Extension Fractures
Mesaverde Formation - Sandstones
Piceance Basin, Colorado
Fracture Spacing (m)

2 y = 0.55x

0
0 1 2 3 4 5
Bed Thickness (m)
 Fracture Spacing Increases
with Increasing Bed Thickness
8
Regional Extension Fractures
7 Frontier Formation - Sandstones
Green River Basin, Wyoming y = 1.64x
Fracture Spacing (m)

0
0 1 2 3 4 5
Bed Thickness (m)
 Fracture Spacing Increases
with Increasing Bed Thickness
14
Regional Extension Fractures
Cretaceous Sandstones y = 2.01x
12
Colorado and Wyoming
Fracture Spacing (m)

10

8 y = 1.64x

4 y = 1.09x
y = 0.55x
2

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Bed Thickness (m)
Elastic Model Shows that Fracture Propagation and Spacing
Are Controlled by Contrast in Rock Mechanical Properties
Regional Fracture Development is Enhanced by Local
Increase in Strain Due to Flexuring
 JOINT SURFACE MORPHOLOGY

Joints, particularly those that are not filled, have a distinctive surface
morphology called a plumose pattern, which permits interpretation
concerning rupture nucleation, propagation, and arrest. The plumose
pattern develops largely from local twists and tilts during propagation
that otherwise would be planar.
JOINT SURFACE MORPHOLOGY
Relationship of Regional Fractures to
In Situ Stress State
 Regional Fractures Are Aligned with the Maximum
Horizontal In-
In-Situ Stress in the Mesaverde Formation,
Rulison Field, Colorado

W E

 H max
Vertical Extension
Fractures N = 62

S
Regional Fracture System in Frontier
Sandstone at Muddy Gap, Wyoming
Effect of Permeability Anisotropy on
Drainage Area and Well Completions

Vertical Well
Horizontal Well with Hydraulic Fracture

Kmin
 Stylolite - Associated Fractures

Stylolite zones often have a variety of natural and induced fractures

associated with them. The natural fractures intimately associated with
the stylolite zone owe their origin to the same stress state that caused
the stylolite. These fractures have distinct morphology, and can, as the
stylolite themselves, be used as paleo-stress indicators.
Stylolite - Associated Tension Fractures in
North Sea Chalk
 Sylolite
Development
Process
Pressure Solution Dissolves Rock to Form
Sylolites
Schematic Diagram Showing Various Types of
Stylolites
Schematic Diagram of Types of Stylolites
and Associated Fractures
Schematic Diagram Showing Tension Fractures
Associated with Stylolite in Core
Schematic Diagram Showing Effect of
Stylolites on Core Permeability
 Diagenetic Fractures (Contractional)

These fractures are caused either by lithofication or postlithofication

processes that are associated with a general bulk volume reduction
throughout the rock. As such they result from contraction during the
following processes:

• Desiccation

• Syneresis

• Thermal Gradients

• Mineral Phase Changes

 Diagenetic Fractures

PROCESS DESSIFICATION SYNAERESIS

TYPE MECHANICAL CHEMICAL

SUBAERIAL,
ENVIRONMENT SUBAERIAL SUBAQUEOUS OR
SUBSURFACE

FRACTURE PATTERN 2-D POLYGONAL 3-D POLYGONAL

CLAY-RICH SEDIMENTS
MATERIAL CLAY-RICH SEDIMENTS
OR COLOIDS (SILICA)
CHICKENWIRE FRACTURING IN CORE
Mudcrack Fractures in Devonian Age
Mudstone, Delaware Gap, PA
POLYGONAL FRACTURES IN IGNEOUS ROCK