Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Hydrocarbon and Petroleum Geology of France pp 209–219Cite as

A Reinterpretation of the Stress Regime of the Aquitaine Basin, Southwestern France, and Implications for Hydrocarbon Recovery

  • Chapter

Abstract

The logs and drilling records of exploration wells often can provide enough information to characterize the stress regime of a sedimentary basin, provided its geomechanical framework is understood. In the Aquitaine Basin, there are not many measurements for estimating subsurface in-situ stress magnitudes, but a significant number of wells have been logged suitably to provide stress directional data. Enough stratigraphic and structural information is available to assess the geomechanical response of the basin fill compared to that of the underlying basement. This study utilizes breakout ovalization analysis of 55 wells. The resulting horizontal principal stress orientations show no clearcut directional homogeneity. Around Bordeaux, σH exhibits a consistent NW-SE orientation. Towards the Pyrenees, the situation becomes less definitive. NE-SW σH orientations are widely present, but NW-SE σH orientations also occur. High-grading the data does not improve the resolution.

This widespread lack of directional homogeneity, and the frequency with which ovalization was found to be aligned with well deviation, suggest that horizontal stress anisotropy is weakly developed in much of the Aquitaine Basin today. It is thought that this condition has arisen because most of the rocks in which stress orientations were measured are geomechanically detached from “basement” and cannot transmit a crustal stress signature. The detachment agent is believed to be early Mesozoic salt. As a result, the propagation directions of hydraulic fractures may vary considerably from place to place. It is also likely that preferred orientations for open fractures will not be consistent regionally.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Adams J, Bell JS (1991) Crustal stresses in Canada. In: Slemmons DB, Engdahl ER, Zoback MD. Blackwell DD (eds) Neotectonics of North America. Decade Map Vol 1. Geological Society of America, pp 367–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Babcock EA (1978) Measurement of subsurface fractures from dipmeter logs. Bull Am Assoc Pet Geol 62: 1111–1126

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell JS (1990 a) Investigating stress regimes in sedimentary basins using information from oil industry wireline logs and drilling records. In: Hurst A. Lovell MA, Morton AC (eds) Geological applications of wireline logs. Spec Publ Geol Soc Lond 48: 305–325

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell JS (1990b) The stress regime of the Scotian Shelf, offshore eastern Canada, to 6 kilometers depth and implications for rock mechanics and hydrocarbon migration. In: Maury V, Fourmaintraux D (eds) Rock at great depth, 3. Balkema. Rotterdam,pp 1243–1265

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell JS, Babcock EA (1986) The stress regime of the Western Canadian Basin and implications for hydrocarbon production. Bull Can Pet Geol 34: 364–378

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell JS, Gough DI (1979) Northeast-southwest compressive stress in Alberta: evidence from oil wells. Earth Planet Sci Lett 45: 475–482

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bell JS, Caillet G, Adams J (1992 a) Attempts to detect open fractures and non-sealing faults with dipmeter logs. In: Hurst A, Worthington PF, Griffiths CM (eds) Geological applications of wireline logs II. Spec Publ 65. Geological Society of London, London, pp 211–220

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell JS, Caillet G, Le Marrec A (1992 b) The present-day subsurface stress regime of the southwestern part of the Aquitaine Basin, France, as indicated by oil well data. J Struct Geol 14:1019–1032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Breckels IM, Van Eekelen HAM (1981) Relations between horizontal stress and depth in sedimentary basins. Paper SPE 10336, 56th Annual Fall Technical Conference. Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME, San Antonio, Texas, October 5-7, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  • Brereton NR, Evans CJ (1987) Rock stress orientations in the United Kingdom from borehole breakouts. Rep RG 87/14, British Geological Survey, 36pp, Keyworth, Notts, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Burg JP, Etchecopar A (1980) Determination des systèmes de contraintes liés à la tectonique cassante au cœur du Massif Central français: la région de Brioude (Haut Allier). C R Hebd Seances Acad Sci Serie D 290: 397–400

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornet FH, Burlet D (1992) Stress field determinations in France by hydraulic tests in boreholes. J Geophys Res 97: 11,829-11,849

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cox JW (1970) The high resolution dipmeter reveals dip-related and borehole and formation characteristics. 11th Annu Logging Symp SPWLA, Los Angeles, May 1970

    Google Scholar 

  • Curnelle R, Dubois P, Seguin JC (1982) The Mesozoic-Tertiary evolution of the Aquitaine Basin. Philos Trans R Soc Lond A 305: 63–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dart RL, Zoback MD (1989) Wellbore breakout stress analysis within Central and Eastern Continental United States. Log Analyst, Jan-Feb 1989:12–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Downes H (1987) Tertiary and Quaternary volcanism in the Massif Central, France. In: Fitton JG, Upton BG (eds) Alkaline igneous rocks. Geological Society of London, London, pp 517–530

    Google Scholar 

  • Ervine WB, Bell JS (1987) Subsurface in-situ stress magnitudes from oil-well drilling records: an example from the Venture area, offshore eastern Canada. Can J Earth Sci 24:1748–1759

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fordjor CK, Bell JS, Gough DI (1983) Breakouts in Alberta and stress in the North American plate. Can J Earth Sci 20: 1445–1455

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giot D, Clozier, L, Fleury R (1978) Manifestations tectoniques récentes (quaternaires) en Limagne d’Allier (Massif central, Puy de Dome, Allier). Bull Bur Rech Geol Min 2:149–155

    Google Scholar 

  • Grasso J-R, Feignier B (1990) Seismicity induced by gas production: II. Lithology correlated events, induced stresses and deformation. Pure Appl Geophys 134:427–450

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grasso J-R, Wittlinger G (1990) Ten years of seismic monitoring over a gas field. Bull Seismol Soc Am 80: 450–473

    Google Scholar 

  • Grasso J-R, Gratier J-P, Gamond JF (1992) Stress transfer and seismic instabilities in the upper crust: example of the western Pyrenees. J Struct Geol 14: 915–924

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grellet B, Combes P, Philip H, Mohammadioun B, Haessler H (1991) Methodology of seismotectonic zoning in the intraplate low seismicity domain; example of France and surrounding areas. In: Volume 2, Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Seismic Zonation. Borchert RD, Shah HC (eds) Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, Oakland, California, USA, pp 35–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Janot P, Gauer P, Gross E (1988) Orientation de la contrainte tectonique dans l’Europe de l’ouest à partir des ovalisations de trous de forages. Rev Inst Fr Pétrole 43: 517–521

    Google Scholar 

  • Klein RJ, Barr MV (1987) Regional state of stress in western Europe. In: Stephansson O (ed) Rock Stress and Rock Stress Measurement. Proc Int Symp, Stockholm, Balkema, Rotterdam,pp 33–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Mardia L (1972) Statistics of directional data: probability and mathematical statistics. Academic Press, London, 527 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Mastin L (1988) Effect of borehole deviation on breakout orientations. J Geophys Res 93: 9187–9195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maury V (1991) The role of rock mechanics in oil and gas exploration. Nature Suppl 350: 8–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Maury V (1993) An overview of tunnel, underground excavation and borehole collapse mechanisms. Chapter 14, v.4, Comprehensive rock engineering, principles, practice and projects. Hudson JA (ed-in-chief) Pergamon, pp 369–412

    Google Scholar 

  • McLellan PJ (1988) In situ stress prediction and measurement by hydraulic fracturing, Wapiti, Alberta. J Can Pet Technol 27; 2:85–95

    Google Scholar 

  • Minster JB, Jordan TH (1978) Present-day plate motions. J Geophys Res 83: 5331–5354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mount VS, Suppe J (1992) Present-day stress orientations adjacent to active strike-slip faults: California and Sumatra. J Geophys Res 97: 11, 995-12, 013

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mullan HS (1984) Deep gas potential of the Aquitaine Basin, France. Am Assoc Pet Geol Bull 68: 1857–1869

    Google Scholar 

  • Müller B, Zoback ML, Fuchs K, Mastin L, Gregersen S, Pavoni N, Stephansson O, Ljunggren C (1992) Regional patterns of tectonic stress in Europe. J Geophys Res 97: 11, 783-11, 803

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicolas M, Santoir JP, Delpech PY (1990) Intraplate seismicity: new seismotectonic data in western Europe. Tectonophysics 179:367–380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Philip H, Grellet B, Combes P, Haessler H (1993) Methodology of seismotectonic zoning in an intraplate low seismicity domain -example of France and surrounding areas. In: Davidovici VE (ed) Recent advances in earthquake engineering and structural dynamics. French Association of Earthquake Engineering, Paris (in press)

    Google Scholar 

  • Plumb RA, Cox JW (1987) Stress distributions in eastern North America to 4.5 km from borehole elongation measurements. J Geophys Res 92: 4805–4816

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plumb RA, Hickman SH (1985) Stress-induced borehole elongation: a comparison between the four-arm dipmeter and the borehole televiewer in the Auburn geothermal well. J Geophys Res 90: 5513–5522

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Segall P (1989) Earthquakes triggered by fluid extraction. Geology 17: 942–946

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Springer JE (1987) Stress orientations from wellbore breakouts in the Coalinga region. Tectonics 6: 667–676

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winnock E (1972) Exposé succinct de l’evolution paléogéologique de l’Aquitaine. Bull Soc Géol Fr 7; 15: 5–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Winnock E, Pontalier Y (1970) Lacq gas field, France. In: Halbouty MT (ed) Geology of giant petroleum fields. Mem 14, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Ulsa, OK, pp 370–387

    Google Scholar 

  • Zoback MD, Healy JH (1992) In-situ stress measurements to 3.5 km depth in the Cajon Pass scientific research borehole: implications for the mechanics of crustal faulting. J Geophys Res 97: 5039–5057

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zoback MD, Moos D, Mastin L, Anderson R (1985) Wellbore breakouts and in-situ stress. Geophys Res 90: 5523–5530

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. J. S. Bell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Caillet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut Français du Pétrole, B. P. 311, 1 & 4, Avenue de Bois-Préau, 92506, Rueil-Malmaison Cedex, France

    Alain Mascle

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1994 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Bell, J.S., Caillet, G. (1994). A Reinterpretation of the Stress Regime of the Aquitaine Basin, Southwestern France, and Implications for Hydrocarbon Recovery. In: Mascle, A. (eds) Hydrocarbon and Petroleum Geology of France. Special Publication of the European Association of Petroleum Geoscientists, vol 4. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-78849-9_16

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-78849-9_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-78851-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-78849-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation