1887
Volume 37, Issue 5
  • E-ISSN: 1365-2117
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Abstract

[

The diagram on the left is a section view illustrating the centroid concept, whereby a permeable lithology (yellow, sand) can facilitate fluid escape from low permeability host mudstones (grey). The cartoon section on the right illustrates the location of focused fluid escape along injectites (in red) that straddles a primary overpressure zone.

, ABSTRACT

High impedance (hard) mudstones are sometimes observed in association with sand injection complexes in the Paleogene petroleum province of the northern North Sea. A hard mudstone surrounding a water‐bearing sandstone can give a similar acoustic response to an oil‐bearing sandstone surrounded by low impedance (soft) mudstone. The presence of hard mudstone thus impacts the ability to predict hydrocarbon presence directly from seismic data during exploration. To establish the mechanism of ‘hardening’ to better predict the presence of variable mudstone characteristics, we examine three cored wells from the Beryl Embayment. Well logs and core were examined to characterise the structure, petrology, petrophysical properties and spatial distribution of both hard and soft mudstones. The results indicate that mudstone hardening is most likely associated with mechanical compaction and efficient dewatering of mudstones into the sand injection complex. This process is enhanced where sand injection complexes transect primary overpressure zones, that promote dewatering from basal overpressured mudstone into the injection network. This study highlights that seismic response needs careful investigation in the context of the complexity of the injectite complex along with variable mudstone attributes. Additionally, this process highlights the role sand injection complexes play in efficient dewatering through lateral transfer in overpressured basins.

]
Basin Research © 2025 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers and International Association of Sedimentologists © 2025 The Author(s). Basin Research published by International Association of Sedimentologists and European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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2025-11-09

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High Impedance Mudstone Associated With Sand Injection Complexes: Significance for Basin‐Scale Fluid Retention and Escape
Basin Research 37, e70058 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1111/bre.70058
/content/journals/10.1111/bre.70058
/content/journals/10.1111/bre.70058
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): acoustic impedance; mudstones; overpressure; sand injectites; seismic attributes; shale dewatering

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