Numerical modeling of the linking damage zone between geologic faults

Resumo

Brittle fault zones are geological structures formed by a core and a damage zone that impact the fluid
flow within geological formations. The fault core is usually responsible for the compartmentalization of several
reservoirs acting as barriers while the damage zones may enhance the fluid flow. Both components present low
seismic resolution that does not allow an appropriate characterization of those regions. Recent works based on the
Finite Element Method (FEM) have focused on the characterization of damage zones adjacent to a geological fault.
However, the interaction of two or more faults may create linking damage zones and preferential flow paths or
barriers to fluid flow. This paper presents a methodology for the numerical modeling of damage zones resulting
from the interaction between two geologic faults. Several scenarios of different relative distances between two
faults are analyzed to understand the effect of linking damage zones.