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Proposal for a mechanical model of mobile shales
Juan I Soto1,2, Mahdi Heidari3, Michael R Hudec3
1Bureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, University Station, Box X, Austin, TX, 78713-8924, USA. juan.soto@beg.utexas.edu.
Scientific Reports
|December 11, 2021
Summary
Mobile shales, found in continental margins, are poorly understood. This study proposes a critical state model to explain their complex deformation, improving subsurface exploration and drilling safety.
Area of Science:
- Geology
- Geophysics
- Sedimentology
Background:
- Mobile shale structures, including mud volcanoes and shale diapirs, pose significant challenges in subsurface exploration.
- Poor seismic imaging and hazardous drilling conditions are common in areas with mobile shales.
- A fundamental lack of understanding of mobile shale mechanical behavior hinders accurate geological interpretation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define mobile shales as bodies of clay-rich sediment undergoing critical state deformation.
- To propose a critical-state model explaining the mechanical behavior of mobile shales.
- To provide a framework for understanding diverse mobile shale structures and their implications for subsurface exploration.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual modeling based on critical state soil mechanics.
- Analysis of existing geological and geophysical data related to mobile shale occurrences.
- Theoretical explanation of shale mobilization mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Mobile shales are defined as undergoing penetrative, (visco-)plastic deformation at the critical state.
- The critical-state model successfully explains fluidized and viscous shale flow, including mud volcanoes and shale diapirs.
- The model accounts for the mobilization of cemented/compacted shales and the influence of overpressure.
Conclusions:
- The critical-state concept provides a unifying framework for understanding mobile shale behavior.
- This model enhances the interpretation of complex subsurface structures involving mobile shales.
- The proposed model offers new insights for geoscientific exploration in continental margin settings.
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