[en] The objective of this study is to investigate the relation between small-scale sedimentary structures and permeability in the Brussels Sands formation, an early Middle-Eocene shallow marine sand deposit in Central Belgium that constitutes a major groundwater source in the region. A field campaign was carried out consisting of field observations of the sedimentary structures and in situ measurements of air permeability. The sedimentary structures were interpreted, sketched, digitally photographed and measured in a representative outcrop. Additionally, a total of 2750 cm-scale air permeability measurements were carried out in situ. Analysis of the spatial distribution of sedimentary structures and permeability shows that clay-rich sedimentary features such as bottomsets and distinct mud drapes exhibit a different statistical and geostatistical permeability distribution compared to the other lithofacies in the cross-bedded sands. Spatial analysis of the air permeability data shows that permeability anisotropy in the cross-bedded lithofacies is dominated by the foreset lamination orientation. These results show that smallscale sedimentary heterogeneity strongly influences the local spatial distribution of the hydraulic properties and results in permeability heterogeneity and stratification that would produce anisotropy in upscaled permeability values.
Disciplines :
Geological, petroleum & mining engineering
Author, co-author :
Huysmans, Marijke; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - KUL > Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences > Applied Geology and Mineralogy
Peeters, Luk; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - KUL > Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences > Applied Geology and Mineralogy
Moermans, Gert; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - KUL > Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences > Applied Geology and Mineralogy
Dassargues, Alain ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département Argenco : Secteur GEO3 > Hydrogéologie & Géologie de l'environnement
Language :
English
Title :
Small-scale sedimentary structures and permeability in a cross-bedded aquifer
Anderson M. Hydrogeological facies models to delineate large-scale spatial trends in glacial and glaciofluvial sediments. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 101 (1989) 501-511
Bronders, J., 1989. Bijdrage tot de geohydrologie van Midden België door middel van geostatistische analyse en een numeriek model. PhD thesis, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel.
Castle J.W., Molz F.J., Lu S., and Dinwiddie C.L. Sedimentological and fractal-based analysis of permeability data, John Henry Member, Straight Cliffs Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Utah, USA. J. Sed. Res. 74 2 (2004) 270-284
Davis J.M., Lohmann R.C., Phillips F.M., Wilson J.L., and Love D.W. Architecture of the Sierra Ladrones Formation, central New Mexico: depositional controls on the permeability correlation structure. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 105 (1993) 998-1007
Davis J.M., Wilson J.L., Phillips F.M., and Gotkowitz M.B. Relationship between fluvial bounding surfaces and the permeability correlation structure. Water Resour. Res. 33 8 (1997) 1846-1854
Deutsch C.V., and Journel A.G. GSLIB Geostatistical Software Library and User's Guide (1998), Oxford University Press, New York
Dreyer T., Scheie A., and Walderhaug O. Minipermeameter-based study of permeability trends in channel sand bodies. AAPG Bull. 74 (1990) 359-374
Dykstra, H., Parsons, R.L., 1950. The prediction of oil recovery by waterflood. In: Secondary Recovery of Oil in the United States, second ed. Am. Petrol. Inst., Washington, p. 160.
Eijpe R., and Weber K.J. Mini-permeameters for consolidated rock and unconsolidated sand. AAPG Bull. 55 (1971) 307-309
Fogg G.E., Noyes C.D., and Carle S.F. Geologically based model of heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity in an alluvial setting. Hydrogeol. J. 6 1 (1998) 131-143
Goggin D.J., Chandles M.A., Kocurek G., and Lake L.W. Patterns of permeability in eolian deposits: Page Sandstone (Jurassic), NE Arizone. SPE Formation Eval. 3 (1988) 297-306
Goggin D.J., Thrasher R.L., and Lake L.W. A theoretical and experimental analysis of minipermeameter response including gas slippage and high velocity flow effects. In Situ 12 (1988) 79-116
Halvorsen C., and Hurst A. Principles, practice and applications of laboratory minipermeametry. In: Worthington P.F. (Ed). Advances in Core Evaluation Accuracy and Precision in Reserves Estimation (1990), Gordon & Breach, Amsterdam 521-549
Hartkamp C.A., Arribas J., and Tortosa A. Grain-size, composition, porosity and permeability contrasts within cross-bedded sandstones in tertiary fluvial deposits, Central Spain. Sedimentology 40 4 (1993) 787-799
Heinz J., Kleineidam S., Teutsch G., and Aigner T. Heterogeneity patterns of Quaternary glaciofluvial gravel bodies (SW-Germany): application to hydrogeology. Sediment. Geol. 158 (2003) 1-23
Houthuys R. Vergelijkende studie van de afzettingsstruktuur van getijdenzanden uit het Eoceen en van de huidige Vlaamse banken. Aardkundige Mededelingen 5 (1990), Leuven University Press p. 137
Hurst A., and Goggin D.J. Probe permeametry: an overview and bibliography. Am. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Bull. 79 (1995) 463-473
Jacobsen T., and Rendall H. Permeability patterns in some fluvial sandstones. An outcrop study from Yorkshire, northeast England. In: Lake L.W., Carroll Jr. H.B., and Wesson T.C. (Eds). Reservoir Characterization II (1991), Academic Press, San Diego 315-338
Jensen J.L., Glasbey C.A., and Corbett P.W.M. On the interaction of geology, measurement, and statistical-analysis of small-scale permeability measurements. Terra Nova 6 4 (1994) 397-403
Koltermann C.E., and Gorelick S. Heterogeneity in sedimentary deposits: a review of structure imitating, process-imitation, and descriptive approaches. Water Resour. Res. 32 9 (1996) 2617-2658
Klingbeil R., Kleineidam S., Asprion U., Aigner T., and Teutsch G. Relating lithofacies to hydrofacies: outcrop-based hydrogeological characterisation of quaternary gravel deposits. Sediment. Geol. 129 3-4 (1999) 299-310
McKinley J.M., Lloyd C.D., and Ruffell A.H. Use of variography in permeability characterisation of visually homogeneous sandstone reservoirs with examples from outcrop studies. Math. Geol. 36 7 (2004) 761-779
Mikes D. Sampling procedure for small-scale heterogeneities (cross-bedding) for reservoir modeling. Mar. Petrol. Geol. 23 9-10 (2006) 961-977
Morton K., Thomas S., Corbett P., and Davies D. Detailed analysis of probe permeameter and vertical interference test permeability measurements in a heterogeneous reservoir. Petrol. Geosci. 8 (2002) 209-216
Pannatier Y. Variowin - Software for Spatial Data Analysis in 2D (1996), Springer, New York p. 91
Remy N. Geostatistical Earth Modeling Software: User's Manual (2004), Stanford University p. 87
Ritzi R.W., Dai Z., Dominic D.F., and Rubin Y.N. Review of permeability in buried-valley aquifers: centimeter to kilometer scales. In: Kovar K., and Hrkal Z. (Eds). Calibration and Reliability in Groundwater Modelling: A Few Steps Closer to Reality, IAHS Publication Number 277 (2003), IAHS Press, Wallingford, UK 409-418
Ritzi R.W., Dai Z., and Dominic D.F. Spatial correlation of permeability in cross-stratified sediment with hierarchical architecture. Water Resour. Res. 40 3 (2004) W03513 10.1029/20WR00242
Sturgeon G.M., Davis J.M., Linder E., and Harter R.D. Heterogeneities in glaciofluvial deposits using an example from New Hampshire. Ground Water 44 4 (2006) 528-539
Tidwell V.C., and Wilson J.L. Upscaling experiments conducted on a block of volcanic tuff: results for a bimodal permeability distribution. Water Resour. Res. 35 11 (1999) 3375-3387
Tipping R.G., Runkel A.C., Alexander J.E.C., Alexander S.C., and Green J.A. Evidence for hydraulic heterogeneity and anisotropy in the mostly carbonate Prairie du Chien Group, southeastern Minnesota, USA. Sediment. Geol. 184 3-4 (2006) 305-330
Van den Berg E.H., and de Vries J.J. Influence of grain fabric and lamination on the anisotropy of hydraulic conductivity in unconsolidated dune sands. J. Hydrol. 283 (2003) 244-266
Whittow J.B. The Penguin Dictionary of Physical Geography (2000), Penguin Books Ltd
Willis B.J., and White C.D. Quantitative outcrop data for flow simulation. J. Sediment. Res. 70 (2000) 788-802
Zheng C.M., and Gorelick S.M. Analysis of solute transport in flow fields influenced by preferential flowpaths at the decimeter scale. Ground Water 41 2 (2003) 142-155
Zinn B., Harvey C.F., Meigs L., Haggerty R., Peplinski W., and von Schwerin C.F. Experimental visualization of solute transport and mass transfer processes in spatially heterogeneous porous media. Environ. Sci. Technol. 38 14 (2004) 3916-3926
