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exploHUB
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Last updated: 27 November, 2009
Professor Andrew Hurst
Professor of Production Geoscience
Research areas
- Sand injectites
- Non-destructive analysis - POROPTIC & ROKSTAR
- GASLOG
Sand Injectites
This rich vein of research is allowing us to understand better shallow-crustal processes, in particular fluid migration and sand distribution in mudrock/shale prone sections. Research carried out in collaboration with Prof Joe Cartwright (U Wales, Cardiff) and supported by an industry funded consortium (Chevron, Enterprise, Kerr McGee, Norsk Hydro, Shell, Statoil, Total) has made substantial strides in the understanding of the origins and definition of sand injectites reservoirs (Fig. 1). A second phase of research is scheduled to begin in 2005 that will focus on acquisition of outcrop data and incorporation of those data into seismic and reservoir models (Fig. 2).
Fig. 1 - 3D visualization of conical intrusions (lower Eocene) and Alba/Chestnut reservoirs (mid-upper Eocene) in UK Block 22/2 (Outer Moray Firth) (from Huuse et al. 2005).
Fig. 2 - Sand injections (black tar-saturated sand) through the Monterey Mudstones (Miocene), near Santa Cruz, California. The bedding-parallel upper sandstone is a sea-floor extrusion - an extrusive stratigraphic trap (rucsac, lower right, for scale).
This research programme has proved to be particularly pertinent to some oil industry needs and has supported some pioneering exploration by Marathon (UK) and partners Lundin who drilled the first deliberate exploration well into a sand injectite complex, the Hamsun prospect (Norway 24/9-7) of Eocene age, with >100 m oil column and Darcy-scale permeability (Fig. 3). Sand injectites form intrusive traps (Hurst, Cartwright et al. 2005) and when sand extrudes onto the sea floor form associated stratigraphic traps (Fig. 2).
Fig. 3 - A southeast-northwest p-wave seismic line (near offset amplitude data) through wells 24/9-7B, 24/9-7 and 24/9-6. The pink horizon is the top Balder Formation reflection. Red and blue horizons are the top and base of the main sandstone in the injectite complex, respectively. After De Boer et al. (in press).
Fig. 4 - Non-stratified facies typical of sand injectites (Duranti & Hurst 2004).
Hurst and Cartwright have co-edited an AAPG Memoir on Sand Injectites that should be published in June 2007.
Visit the Sand Injectites website.
Non-Destructive Analysis - POROPTIC & ROKSTAR
- POROPTIC aims to develop a robust, hand-held instrument that gives estimates of grain size and porosity and, grain and pore-size distribution. POROPTIC is based on the principle that oblique lighting of a rock surface will produce a shadow image that is related to the distribution and size of the grains and pores
- ROKSTAR uses descriptive sedimentary logs from outcrop or core to synthesise borehole geophysical data.Consideration of the information that is recorded in rock descriptions, for example, average grain size, grain sorting, mineralogy, porosity, and cementation are used to compute synthetic borehole geophysical responses from descriptive data by forward modelling.
Visit the Non-Destructive Analysis website for more information.
GASLOG
GASLOG is examining the potential for using mud-gas data to provide a real-time petrophysical and lithological characterisation during drilling. Mud-gas data are globally available and probably under-utilised for geological prediction. Soft computing methods are being integrated with formation evaluation software (Figure below). Potentially Gaslog will provide synthetic logs during drilling that will complement conventional borehole geophysical measurements.
An example of synthetic wireline logs derived from mud-gas data (courtesy Steve Cuddy).
exploHUB
Regional exploration lies at the heart of discovering the earth's remaining hydrocarbon resources; however the number of individuals with appropriate skills and experience has dwindled severely over the past 25 years. exploHUB is the first, independent, dedicated training programme to focus exclusively on wealth creation through regional exploration. In exploHUB geoscientists are fast-tracked in the application of traditional and cutting-edge technologies to the exhaustive exploration for global reserves. As "oil is first found in the minds of men1" exploHUB builds on the ethos that wealth creation lies in the hands of people. exploHUB's training programme focuses strongly on encouraging creative thinking, optimising prospect generationand mitigating technical risk.
Visit the exploHUB website
Recent Publications
BRACCINI, E., DE BOER, W., HURST, A., HUUSE, M., VIGORITTO, M., & TEMPLETON, G. 2008. Sand injectites. Oilfield Review 20, 34-49.
CARTWRIGHT, J.A., JAMES, D., HUUSE, M, VETEL, W. & HURST, A. 2008. The geometry and emplacement of conical sandstone intrusions. Journal of Structural Geology 30, 854-867.
HURST, A. & GLENNIE, K. 2008. Climatically forced mass wasting of aeolian dunes: catastrophic environmental change in an ancient hot desert. Terra Nova 20, 274-279.
SATUR, N., HURST, A., KELLING, G., CRONIN, B.T. & GURBUZ, K. 2007. Controlling factors on the character of feeder systems to a deep-marine fan, Cingoz Formation (Miocene), southern Turkey. SEPM Deep-water Reservoirs Atlas.
CRONIN, B.T., GURBUZ, K., GUL, M., ÇELIK, H., HURST, A. & KELLING, G. 2007. Evolution of multi-phase, winged, coarse-grained deep-water canyons: Alikayasi Canyon, Turkey. J. Studlick et al., AAPG Memoir, Paper 91,
CRONIN, B.T., ÇELIK, H., HURST, A., GUL, M., GURBUZ, K., MAZZINI, A. & OVERSTOLZ, M. 2007. Deep-water slope channel complex fill and overbank architecture of the Tinker Channel, Kirkgecit Formation, Turkey. Outcrops of deepwater systems, J. Studlick et al., AAPG Memoir, Paper 90,
CRONIN, B.T., ÇELIK, H., & HURST, A. 2007. Sinuous channels in late stages of entrenched deep-water channel complexes, Hasret Mountain Main Channel, Turkey. Outcrops of deepwater systems, J. Studlick et al., AAPG Memoir, Paper 89,
HURST, A. & CARTWRIGHT, J.A. 2007. Relevance of sand injectites to hydrocarbon exploration and production. In: Sand Injectites, Hurst, A. & Cartwright, J. (eds.), AAPG Memoir, Tulsa, p.1-10. ISBN: 978-0-89181-368-2.
SCHWAB, A.M., TREMBLAY, S. & HURST, A. 2007. Seismic expression of turbidity-current and bottom-current processes on the northern Mauritanian continental slope. In: Seismic Geomorphology, (eds.)
HURST, A., HUUSE, M., CARTWRIGHT, J.A., & DURANTI, D. 2007. Sand injectites in deep-water clastic reservoirs: are they there and do they matter? Outcrops of deepwater systems, J. Studlick et al., AAPG Memoir.
HURST, A., DURANTI, D., HUUSE, M. & CARTWRIGHT, J.A.2007. Sand injectites in outcrops of deepwater clastic systems. Outcrops of deepwater systems, J. Studlick et al., AAPG Memoir.
SATUR, N., HURST, A. KELLING, K., CRONIN, B.T. AND GURBUZ, K. 2007. Controlling Factors on the Characteristics of Feeder Systems to a Deep-marine Fan, Cingoz Formation, Turkey. Outcrops of deepwater systems, J. Studlick et al., AAPG Memoir.
JONK, R., CRONIN, B.T. & HURST, A. 2007. Sand extrusion at the sediment-water interface: sand volcanoes from the Namurian of County Clare, Ireland. In: Sand Injectites, Hurst, A. & Cartwright, J. (eds.), AAPG Memoir, Tulsa.
DE BOER, W., RAWLINSON, P.B. & HURST, A. 2007. Successful exploration of a sand injectite complex: Hamsun prospect, Norway Block 24/9. In: Sand Injectites, Hurst, A. & Cartwright, J. (eds.), AAPG Memoir, Tulsa.
HUUSE, M., CARTWRIGHT, J.A., DURANTI, D., HURST, A. & STEINSLAND, N. Seismic Characterization of Large-Scale Sandstone Intrusions. In: Sand Injectites, Hurst, A. & Cartwright, J. (Eds.), AAPG Memoir, Tulsa.
GLENNIE, K. & HURST, A. 2007. Fluidisation and associated soft-sediment deformation in aeolian sandstones: Hopeman Sandstone (Permian), Scotland, and Rotliegend, North Sea. In: Sand Injectites, Hurst, A. & Cartwright, J. (eds.), AAPG Memoir, Tulsa.
SATUR, N. & HURST, A. 2007. Sand fluidisation structures from the Ty Formation (Paleocene), Sleipner Øst field, Norwegian North Sea. In: Sand Injectites, Hurst, A. & Cartwright, J. (eds.), AAPG Memoir, Tulsa.
JONK, R., DURANTI, D., HURST, A., PARNELL, J. & FALLICK, A.E. 2007. Aqueous and petroleum fluid flow associated with injected sandstones: an example from the Dinantian Oil-Shale Group of the Midland Valley, Scotland. In: Sand Injectites, Hurst, A. & Cartwright, J. (eds.), AAPG Memoir, Tulsa.
HURST, A., CARTWRIGHT, J.A., HUUSE, M. & DURANTI, D. 2006. Extrusive sandstones (extrudites): a new class of stratigraphic trap? In: in, M.R. Allen, G.P. Goffey, R.K. Morgan and I.M. Walker eds., The deliberate search for stratigraphic traps: where are they now? Geological Society (London) Special Publication 254, p. 289-300.
DEMIS, W.D., HARTMANN, D. & HURST, A. 2006. By-passed pays and plays. Short Course #4, AAPG Annual Convention, Houston. CARTWRIGHT, J.A. & HURST, A. 2005. Characterisation of remobilised deepwater sandstone reservoirs. Oil & Gas - Maximising Recovery Programme IOR Views (http://ior.rml.co.uk/issue11/research-development/universities/aberdeen/), DTI Licensing and Consents Unit.
JONK, R., PARNELL, J. & HURST, A. 2005. Aqueous and petroleum fluid flow associated with sand injectites. Basin Research 17, 241-257.
RAWLINSON, P., DE BOER, W. & HURST, A. 2005. Successful exploration of a sand injectite complex: Hamsun prospect, Block 24/9, Norwegian North Sea. 67th EAGE Conference & Technical Exhibition, Madrid. Paper A-02.
HUUSE, M., CARTWRIGHT, J., GRAS, R. & HURST, A. 2005. Giant conical sandstone intrusions in the lower Eocene of the Outer Moray Firth (UK North Sea): migration paths and potential reservoirs. In: Petroleum Geology: North-West Europe and Global Perspectives - Proceedings of the 6th Petroleum Geology Conference, Dore, A. & Vining, B. (eds), Geological Society, London, p.1577-1594.
HURST, A., FRASER, A., FRASER, S. & HADLER-JACOBSEN, F. 2005. Deep-water clastic reservoirs: a leading global play in terms of reserve replacement and technological challenges. In: Petroleum Geology: North-West Europe and Global Perspectives - Proceedings of the 6th Petroleum Geology Conference, Dore, A. & Vining, B. (eds), Geological Society, London, p.1111-1120.
HURST, A., CARTWRIGHT, J.A., DURANTI, D., HUUSE, M. & NELSON, M. 2005. Sand injectites: an emerging global play in deep-water clastic environments In: Petroleum Geology: North-West Europe and Global Perspectives - Proceedings of the 6th Petroleum Geology Conference , Dore, A. & Vining, B. (eds), Geological Society, London, p.133-144.
JONK, R., HURST, A., DURANTI, D., MAZZINI, A., FALLICK, A.E. & PARNELL, J. 2005. The origin and timing of sand injection, petroleum migration and diagenesis: the Tertiary petroleum system of the South Viking Graben, North Sea. AAPG Bulletin 89, 329-357.
SATUR, N., KELLING, G., CRONIN, B.T., HURST, A. & GURBUZ, K. 2005. Sedimentary architecture of a canyon-style fairway feeding a deep-water clastic system, the Miocene Cingoz Formation, southern Turkey: significance for reservoir characterisation and modelling. Sedimentary Geology 173, 91-119.
HURST, A., CARTWRIGHT, J.A., HUUSE, M. & DURANTI, D. 2005. Sand injectites - an ignored global exploration opportunity. Offshore Magazine
HUUSE, M., DURANTI, D. STEINSLAND, N., GUARGENA, C., PRAT, P., HOLM, K. CARTWRIGHT, J.A. & HURST, A. 2004. Seismic characteristics of large-scale sandstone intrusions in the Paleogene of the South Viking Graben, UK and Norwegian North Sea. In: 3-D Seismic Technology: Applications to the Exploration of Sedimentary Basins (Davies, R.J., Cartwright, J.A., Stewart, S.A., Lappin, M. & Underhill, J.R. eds.). Geological Society of London Memoirs, 29 , 263-277.
HURST, A., DURANTI, D., HUUSE. M. & CARTWRIGHT, J.A. 2004. Sand injectites in deep-water clastic plays: migration paths, intrusive traps and reservoir characterization. 66 th EAGE Conference & Technical Exhibition, Paris . Paper A025.
HURST, A., KOVALCHUK, A., GRANDJEAN, V., PLAYER, M. & WATSON, J. 2004. Non-destructive characterization of reservoir grain and pore size by optical imaging. 66 th EAGE Conference & Technical Exhibition, Paris . Paper D022.
DURANTI, D. and HURST, A. 2004. Fluidisation and injection in the deep-water sandstones of the Eocene Alba Formation (UK North Sea). Sedimentology 51, 503-531.
SATUR, N., CRONIN, B.T., HURST, A., KELLING, G. & GURBUZ, K. 2004. Down-channel variations in stratal patterns within a conglomeratic, deepwater fan feeder system (Miocene, Adana Basin, Southern Turkey. In: Confined Turbidite Systems (Lomas, S.A. & Joseph, P. eds.) Special Publication of the Geological Society of London, 222, 241-260.
MAZZINI, A., DURANTI, D., JONK, R., PARNELL, J., CRONIN, B.T., HURST, A. and QUINE, M. 2003. Palaeo-carbonate seep structures above an oil reservoir, Gryphon Field, Tertiary, North Sea. Geo Marine Letters 23, 323-339.
KOVALCHUK, A.,GRANDJEAN, V.,HURST, A., PLAYER, M.A., & WATSON, J. 2003. Characterisation of the physical properties of porous media using monochrome imaging. Proc. SPIE ( Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers) , v. 5477, 138-150.
HURST, A., CARTWRIGHT, J.A., HUUSE, M., JONK, R., SCHWAB, A.M., DURANTI, D. & CRONIN, B.T. 2003. Significance of large-scale sand injectites as long-term fluid conduits: evidence from seismic data. Geofluids 3, 263-274.
HUUSE, M., DURANTI, D. GROVES, S., GUARGENA, C., PRAT, P., HOLM, K. STEINSLAND, N., CRONIN, B.T., HURST, A. & CARTWRIGHT, J.A. 2003. Sandstone intrusions: detection and significance for exploration and production. First Break 21, 33-42.
JONK, R., DURANTI, D., PARNELL, J., HURST, A. & FALLICK, A.E. 2003. The structural and diagenetic evolution of injected sandstones: examples from the Kimmeridgian of NE Scotland. Journal of the Geological Society of London 160, 881-894.
HURST, A. CARTWRIGHT, J.A. and DURANTI, D. 2003. Fluidisation structures in sandstone produced by upward injection through a sealing lithology. In: Subsurface sediment mobilization (van Rensbergen, P., Hillis, R.R., Maltman, A.J. & Morley, C.K. eds.). Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 216, 123-137.
JONK, R., MAZZINI, A., DURANTI, D., PARNELL, J., CRONIN, B. & HURST. A. 2003. Fluid escape from reservoirs: implications from cold seeps, fractures and injected sands Part II. The fluids involved. Journal of Geochemical Exploration 78-79, 297-300.
MAZZINI, A., JONK, R., DURANTI, D., PARNELL, J., CRONIN, B. & HURST. A. 2003. Fluid escape from reservoirs: implications from cold seeps, fractures and injected sands Part I. The fluid flow system. Journal of Geochemical Exploration 78-79, 293-296.
HURST, A. (ed.) 2002. Onshore-Offshore relationships on the North Atlantic margin. Abstracts and Proceedings of the Norwegian Geological Society, NGF 2, 211p.
OGILVIE, S.R., CUDDY, S., LINDSAY, C. and HURST, A. 2002. Novel methods of permeability prediction from NMR tool data. Dialog 10.
HUUSE, M., DURANTI, D. PRAT, P., HOLM, K. STEINSLAND, N., GUARGENA, C., CARTWRIGHT, J.A. HURST, A. and CRONIN, B.T. 2002. Detection, origin and significance of large-scale injected sand bodies in the North Sea Cenozoic. 64 th EAGE Conference & Technical Exhibition, Florence . Paper H-19.
CRONIN, B.T., SPADINI, G., ROCCHINI, P. and HURST, A. 2002. Merging high-resolution, modern deep-water data sets with West Africa subsurface data to validate sand body geometry and reservoir facies distribution. 64 th EAGE Conference & Technical Exhibition, Florence . Paper P056
JONK, R., HURST, A. and PARNELL, J. 2002. Fluid flow through sand injectites intruded in low permeability host rocks. 64 th EAGE Conference & Technical Exhibition, Florence. Paper H-23.
HURST, A., CARTWRIGHT, J.A., DURANTI, D, HUUSE, M., and CRONIN, B.T. 2002. Sand injectites - reserve potential, their genesis and reservoir character. 64 th EAGE Conference & Technical Exhibition, Florence. Paper G-32.
DURANTI, D., HUUSE, M., CARTWRIGHT, J.A. HURST, A., CRONIN, B.T., MAZZINI, A. and FLANAGAN, K. 2002. Unusual facies and geometries of the Paleogene deep-water systems in the North Sea - effects of sand remobilisation. 64 th EAGE Conference & Technical Exhibition, Florence. Paper .
DURANTI, D., HURST, A., BELL, C. and GROVES, S. 2002. Injected and remobilised sands of the Alba Field (UKCS): sedimentary facies characteristics and wireline log responses. Petroleum Geoscience 8, 99-107.
ROBERTSON, E., CORBETT, P., HURST, A., SATUR, N. and CRONIN, B.T. 2002. Synthetic well test modelling in a high net-to-gross outcrop system for turbidite reservoir description. Petroleum Geoscience 8, 19-30.
HINEY, R. and HURST, A. 2001. Sub-seismic scale heterogeneity in sand-rich submarine fans - application of the "multi-system" approach within the Greater Brae area (UKCS). 63 rd EAGE Conference & Technical Exhibition, Amsterdam. Paper L-06.
HUUSE, M., DURANTI, D., CARTWRIGHT, J., HURST, A.. and CRONIN, B. 2001. Seismic expression of large-scale sand remobilisation and injection in Paleogene reservoirs of the North Sea Basin and beyond. 63 rd EAGE Conference & Technical Exhibition, Amsterdam. Paper L-07.
JONK, R., DURANTI, D., HURST, A. and PARNELL, J. 2001. Using image analysis to quantify textural changes due to post-depositional remobilization of fine-grained sands. 63 rd EAGE Conference & Technical Exhibition, Amsterdam. Paper P583.
DUBRULE, O., DAMSLETH, E. and HURST, A. (eds.) 2001. Petroleum Geoscience, Special Issue - Thematic set on Geostatistics. Petroleum Geoscience 7, S1-107.
HURST, A. and MORTON, A.C. 2001. Generic relationships in the mineral-chemical stratigraphy of turbidite sandstones. Journal of Geological Society of London 158,401-404.
HURST, A. and CRONIN, B.T. 2001. The origin of consolidation laminae and dish structures in some deep-water sandstones. Journal of Sedimentary Research 71, 136-143.
.Contact Details
Tel: (+44) 01224 273713
Fax: (+44) 01224 272785
Email:
Geology & Petroleum Geology, School of Geosciences,
College of Physical Sciences,
Meston Building, King's College, Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, Scotland, U.K.
Tel: +44-(0)1224 273433 Fax: +44-(0)1224 272785 Email: