Fracture Systems Associated with the Menchaca Anticline, Sabinas Basin Gas Field (Northern Mexico)

Outcrop analogue studies can significantly improve the understanding of fracture distribution and their impact on fluid flow in fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs. In particular, outcrop analogues may reduce the uncertainties about some fracture parameters difficult or impossible to manage if one uses only subsurface data. In this paper, we document the results of the analysis and characterization of the fracture pattern in sedimentary rocks of Menchaca anticline (Sabinas Basin, Northern Mexico). This is a symmetric, evaporite-cored detachment fold developed during the Laramide Orogeny and is interpreted to be a perfect analogue of the gas-producing subsurface structures of the Sabinas Basin. Our work aimed to analyze the evolution of the fracture systems within the framework of the fold development, quantify their density, and identify the main factors controlling their variability. The results of our outcrop study were compared with those coming from the analysis of the micro-resistivity wellbore image logs acquired in two producing wells drilled in a gas field whose structural setting is similar to the Menchaca fold. In conclusion, the comparison and integration of the subsurface and outcrop data in the Menchaca fold shows the relevance of outcrop studies for geologic modelling and characterization of fractured reservoirs.