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structural geology, propagation mechanics and - Stanford School of ...

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• The tendency for transported fluids to channel preferentially along the dominant<br />

b<strong>and</strong> trend can overpower the effects <strong>of</strong> regional pressure gradients, both natural<br />

(contaminant plume scenarios) <strong>and</strong> induced (reservoir production scenarios).<br />

Compaction b<strong>and</strong>s, <strong>and</strong> other types <strong>of</strong> deformation b<strong>and</strong>s with similar flow<br />

characteristics, almost certainly exist unrecognized in many s<strong>and</strong>stone aquifers <strong>and</strong><br />

reservoirs. Reliable borehole geophysical techniques for detecting these types <strong>of</strong><br />

structures in the subsurface <strong>and</strong> assessing their gross geometry, density, connectivity <strong>and</strong><br />

petrophysical characteristics are needed. Nonetheless, our modeling suggests that simple<br />

steps based on even limited data can mitigate the impact <strong>of</strong> CB arrays. While not an<br />

exhaustive study, the character <strong>and</strong> magnitude <strong>of</strong> the flow <strong>and</strong> transport effects modeled<br />

here demonstrate that accounting for such b<strong>and</strong> fabrics could prove essential to the<br />

optimal management <strong>of</strong> s<strong>and</strong>stone aquifers <strong>and</strong> reservoirs in which they occur.<br />

8. Acknowledgements<br />

Our thanks go to John Childs for his acute <strong>and</strong> cheerful assistance in the field.<br />

Primary funding for this work was provided by the U.S. Department <strong>of</strong> Energy, Office <strong>of</strong><br />

Basic Energy Sciences under grant DE-FG03-94ER14462 awarded to David Pollard <strong>and</strong><br />

Atilla Aydin at <strong>Stanford</strong> University. Additional support was provided by the <strong>Stanford</strong><br />

Reservoir Simulation Consortium (SUPRI-B) <strong>and</strong> the <strong>Stanford</strong> Rock Fracture Project<br />

(RFP).<br />

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