Stratigraphic trapping at pinch-out margins is a key feature of many
turbidite-hosted hydrocarbon reservoirs. In systems confined by lateral
or oblique frontal slopes, outcrop studies show that there is a
continuum between two geometries of pinch-out configuration. In
type A, turbidites thin onto the confining surface—although the
final sandstone pinch-out is commonly abrupt—and individual beds
tend not to erode into earlier deposits. In type B, turbidite sandstones
commonly thicken toward the confining slope, and beds may
incise into earlier deposits. These two types may occur in combination,
to give a wide spectrum of pinch-out characteristics. Our
analysis suggests the principal control in determining pinch-out
character is flow magnitude, with smaller flows producing type A
and larger flows producing type B.
In areas of poor seismic control it can be difficult to assess either
pinch-out character or the proximity of wells to confining slopes.
Because estimates of paleoflow magnitude can be made from core
or high-quality log image data, however, it is possible to make reasonable
estimates of pinch-out character even from wells such as
exploration wells, which may be placed conservatively, away from
the field margins. Furthermore, systematic paleoflow variations and
thickness trends are commonly seen in individual turbidite sandstones
as they approach confining slopes. For example, dispersal
directions indicate flow deflection parallel with the strike of confining
topography; beds thin toward type A onlaps and thicken toward
type Bonlaps. These relationships can be exploited via analysis of
vertical successions to constrain well position with respect to the
slope. Similarly, the presence, location, and frequency of locally
derived debrites can provide information on the presence and proximity
of confining slopes
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