Geomechanics and basin analysis

Need for knowledge

Increased understanding of sedimentary basins as geodynamic entities as well as the link to petrophysical, rock mechanical and rock physical properties is a pre-requisite for successful exploitation of sedimentary resources and reservoirs. Development of reliable models capable of predicting reservoir behaviour from geological information as well as rock properties (e.g. mineralogy, porosity, permeability, chemical composition, elastic wave velocity, strength, conductance to electric current and heat) measured in lab or field-scale is inherent to address future exploration of sedimentary reservoirs.

Research efforts

The assessment of resource potential of a sedimentary basin is a multidisciplinary approach. At the section for Geotechnics and Geology we conduct studies within regional-scale geophysical interpretation, sedimentological characterization, quantitative petrophysical analyses, geomechanics and rock physics. We link the basin evolution (e.g. deposition, compaction, subsidence and diagenesis) to the geological, mechanical and physical properties of sedimentary rocks through advanced modelling and geomechanics laboratory experiments.

The geophysical characterization of sedimentary basins is focused around quantitative and qualitative seismic interpretation, integrating petrophysical information from boreholes. The petrophysical data is derived from both borehole logs or lab measurements of rock properties such as porosity, permeability, specific surface and ultrasonic velocities. The evolution of rock properties in geological time is studied by the means of advanced forward FE modelling.

Collaborators

Academic partners include geoscientific communities at the e.g. the Geological Survey (GEUS) and the University of Copenhagen. The natural collaborators of the geomechanics and basin analysis research group are national and international energy companies within oil and gas, as well as geothermal energy production. 

Use in practice

Our research is relevant to public authorities in planning and estimating geological resource exploitation. Private sector users of our research within sedimentary basins include energy companies and consultancies within energy exploitation.