Natural fracture characterization in Aptian carbonates, Araripe Basin, NE

Brazil
Tiago Miranda (UFPE), Antonio Barbosa (UFPE), Julia Gale (BEG-UTexas), Randall Marrett
(JSG-UTexas), Igor Gomes (UFPE), Virgínio Neumann (UFPE), Gabriel Matos (Petrobras),
Osvaldo Correia (UFPE), Marcio Alencar (UFPE)

Summary

This paper addresses fracture characterization in an Aptian laminated limestone, the Crato Formation,
cropping out in the Araripe Basin (NE, Brazil) using a scanline technique. This unit has been used as a
geological analogue of buried naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs. In recent years, studies of
fractured reservoirs have drawn considerable attention due to their significance for oil production and
enhanced recovery. The study was based on the use of traditional scanline surveys, and the recording
of fracture orientation, morphology, crosscutting relationships, composition, texture of fracture fill,
fracture aperture-size distribution (frequency), spatial distribution (coefficient of variation), and strain
for each fracture set. The main fractures identified in the Crato Formation were shear- and opening-
mode fractures (veins) and with stylolites also present. In this study we focus on opening-mode
fractures, which strike in two main directions, NNW-SSW (set 1) and NE-SW (set 2), and are filled by
recrystallized calcite. Fractures of set 2 have a wider kinematic aperture and spacing range and are more
likely to be clustered than are fractures of set 1 (NE). These results have been used to populate
computational models that consider the widespread fracture system in the geomechanical modeling of
carbonate reservoirs.

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Introduction

Recovery factor represents an important aspect of a petroleum reservoir and in some cases a very
difficult aspect to determine for the entire reservoir, based on punctual data such as well logs. The
difficulty arises due its relation with other factors like permeability, and diagenesis, which can vary
significantly. A possible way to treat this issue is to create analogue models, based on geological
outcrops. This approach can allow construction of sophisticated computational models where
simulations can be performed, and reservoir uncertainties can be mitigated (Agar et al., 2010).
The study of fractured reservoir analogues can provide parameters which can be used in multi scale
integration of reservoir models, allowing a better representation for various types of geological
heterogeneity (Bourbiaux, 2010), as well as the natural fracture system. One of the most common
methods for rapid analysis of a fracture network, allowing an approximate quantitative prediction of
fracture density and frequency, is the scanline technique (Marrett, 1996; Marrett, 1999; Ortega et al.,
2006).
The Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of the Araripe Basin has large outcrops of a laminated
lacustrine limestone (Neumann, 1999). Excellent exposure in the quarries around the Nova Olinda city
makes the Crato Formation a good example of a naturally fractured carbonate reservoir.
We applied the scanline technique in the Crato Formation focusing on following fracture attributes:
orientation, morphology, crosscutting relationships, composition, texture of fracture fill, fracture
aperture-size (frequency), spatial distribution (coefficient of variation) and strain. This study focuses
on characterization of attributes of two partly filled opening-mode fracture sets. Ultimately we plan to
include the results in numerical models to combine the fracture network permeability and porosity and
the rock matrix properties (double-porosity and/or double-permeability problems) to build more reliable
geomechanical models.

Scanline technique

The first step in this study was the acquisition of structural data from the laminated limestone in order
to understand the main tectonic stages and to distinguish the natural fracture sets in the Crato Formation.
Second, we measured fracture attributes along macrofracture scanlines constructed normal to dominant
fracture strike, following the rationale described by Marrett (1996); Marrett et al., (1999); Ortega et al.,
(2006); Gale et al., (2007).
The fracture attributes were measured along the scanlines, and for each fracture set the following
features were recorded: a) spacing between fractures; b) kinematic aperture; c) fracture orientation; d)
morphology; e) cross-cutting relationship; and f) composition of fracture fill (Ortega et al., 2006;
Laubach & Gale, 2006; Guerriero et al., 2010) (Fig. 1). To measure fracture apertures in the outcrop,
we used a fracture-width comparator that allows collection of fracture apertures of 0.05 to 5 mm (Fig.
1) (Ortega et al., 2006).
The regularity of fracture spacing was quantified by the coefficient of variation (CV) of the population
of interfracture spacings, CV = σ/µ, where σ is the standard deviation of the population of spacings and
µ is the arithmetic mean. For randomly arranged fractures CV = 1; CV > 1 if fractures are more clustered
than random; and CV < 1 for those fractures having less clustering than random (Gillespie et al., 2001;
Hooker et al., 2013).
The strain (Ɛ) in the limestone at Crato Formation was quantified by measuring the combined sum of
apertures (Σb), which represents the change in length of the layer, divided by the sum of spacing (Σs)
between the neighbouring fractures in the scanline, Ɛ = Σs/ Σb (Kuiper, 1960; Hooker et al., 2013).
Although strain heterogeneity has no absolute standard, Ɛ can be compared between fracture
populations so as to assess relative strain heterogeneity (Hooker et al., 2013).
Where possible, scanlines were constructed normal to fracture sets. Measurements in scanlines that
were not perpendicular to fractures were corrected using Terzaghi corrections (Terzaghi, 1965). This
allowed us to maximize the amount of information concerning fracture orientation, aperture, and
spacing.

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Figure 1 - Example of the linear scanline technique in the laminated limestone of the Crato Formation.
These measurements in the scanline were corrected for obliquity by Terzaghi’s concept. Note details of
fracture aperture, compass, hand lens and comparator for use in the field.

Results

The main fractures indentified in the Crato Formation were shear- and opening-mode fractures (joints
and veins) and we also found stylolites (Fig. 2). Opening-mode fractures strike in two main directions
NNW-SSW (set 1) and NE-SW (set 2). These fracture sets were defined in the field by fracture
orientation and crosscutting relations. Opening-mode fractures were classified here as joints and veins,
with the veins filled mainly by recrystallized calcite. Stylolites were indentified normal to the bedding
striking preferentially N70E. Here shear-mode fractures were classified as a syn-sedimentary conjugate
faults, with moderate dip (45°) to WNW or NE, with millimetre-centimetre displacement. The bedding
dips uniformly at 2° to 6° to the ESE.
In this study shear-mode fractures and stylolites were not included in the scanline due the difficulty of
measuring the exact displacement of the faults, and because the stylolites were undersampled in many
of the scanlines. Our study focused only on opening-mode fractures (veins).
We measured 204 kinematic apertures of fracture set 1 along four scanlines, approximately 57 m long
(sum of all scanlines), striking N60E. The scanline data processing allowed us to describe the aperture-
size distribution in the log-log plot (cumulative frequency versus kinematic aperture) where apertures
range from 0.046 to 5 mm. Set 1 fractures follow a power-law aperture-size having a scaling exponent
of about – 0.7 (Fig. 3a). The cumulative frequency distribution of spacings between the 204 fractures
in set 1 follows a log-normal distribution (Fig. 3b). Set 1 fractures have a CV value of 1.64, indicating
spacing more clustered than random. Ɛ for set 1 is 0.0009.
Set 2 opening-mode fractures were measured in six scanlines, 72 m long (sum of all scanlines), striking
N40W, and the scanlines intersect 261 fractures. The aperture range from 0.043 to 12 mm and the
cumulative frequency of aperture and spacing follow a power law (having a scaling exponent of about
-0.6) and log-normal distribution, respectively (Fig. 3a,c). Set 2 fractures have a CV value of 1.92 and a
Ɛ is 0.004. Note that values are higher than those from set 1, which can indicate that set 2 fractures are
more clustered, or irregularly spaced.

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Figure 2 – Fracture systems observed in the Crato Formation. 1) shear fractures, 55°/350; 2) vertical
stylolite (N70E); 3) opening-mode fracture filled by recrystallized calcite (N60E). Plots are
stereographic projections of poles to planes.

Figure 3 – Distribution of opening-mode fractures of the Crato Formation, Brazil. A) Apertures for
both fracture sets follow a common power-law distribution; fracture spacings set 1 (B) and set 2 (C)
follow a log-normal distribution.

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Conclusions

The scanline technique for collecting fracture attribute data allowed us to distinguish different fracture
set characteristics in natural fracture systems in the carbonate rocks of the Araripe Basin, northeastern
Brazil. Most of the opening-mode fractures documented in outcrops are classified as veins filled by
recrystallized calcite. We describe two main populations of opening-mode fractures: a) set 1, NW-SE;
set 2, NE-SW. Fractures of set 2 have a wider kinematic aperture and spacing range and are more likely
to be clustered than are fractures of set 1 (NE).

Acknowledgements

Financial support for this study was provided by a grant from the Project Turing – Petrobras/Federal
University of Pernambuco (UFPE). We are grateful to the Science without Borders Program, National
Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels of Brazil (ANP), Geosciences Graduate
Program/UFPE, Fracture Research and Application Consortium, University of Texas at Austin.

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