Phase 5

Sand Injection Research Group (SIRG): Phase 5

Phase 5 of SIRG commenced in September 2023. 

Principal Investigator: Matt Brettle (matthew.brettle@abdn.ac.uk)

Collaborators: Isabelle Lecomte, Andy Morton and Andrew Hurst

Post-doctoral Research Fellows: Gustavo Zvirtes and Sean Kelly

Research Assistants: Robert Waltham, Zuzanna Crawford

Data Manager: Yousef abu Yousef

Some key objectives include:

• The provision of an SQL sand injectite database that is the first entry point to accessing subsurface and outcrop data on sand injectites.  This will contain SIRG outcrop and North Sea sand injectite data and will be linked to both a PowerBI and GIS geodatabase front end.  The database has several key data elements – field, well, core, and interpretations of both outcrop and the subsurface.
   
• During the project we plan to interpret as many North Sea cored sand injectite intervals as is possible.  The resulting interpretations will form an atlas, while the lithofacies interpretation of each core plug location will be integrated within the core database – which will enable further detailed analysis of petrophysical properties and uncertainties of sand injectites.
   
• The construction of geological concepts for key sand injectite outcrops and static geological, dynamic and seismic models based on those concepts.  The dynamic models will be used to test sensitivities and generate rules of thumb regarding production optimisation in sand injectite reservoirs.
   
• Fieldwork in the Tumey Giant injectite complex and other outcrops in California.  Other global field areas will be screened and possibly worked.  Existing outcrop interpretations will be integrated with well and seismic data from the San Joaquin Basin to enhance the understanding of the basin history and the development of sand injectites.  Similarly, seismic and well data from the North Sea will be interpreted to broaden the understanding of the extent, character, architecture, tiering and timing of sand injectite systems, but also allow comparison of style and dimension between basins.
   
• The facilitation of workshops, where consortium members can share insights into work they have completed.

If you are interested in connecting with SIRG please email matthew.brettle@abdn.ac.uk.