Mechanical Compaction in Tectonically Active Basins - Theory and Examples

Porosity evaluation in depth is a complex mechanical problem where irreversible mechanical compaction drives the initial consolidation phase of the sediment. The ability to quantitatively model this process has many applications in the oil and gas industry, including AVA modeling, pore pressure prediction, and more. We present a method to model compaction in tectonically active basins using large deformation theory. Mechanical compaction is posed as a plastic-poroelastic process and is modelled using natural strain increments. Our method allows us to model porosity evaluation for different pore pressures and lithologies.