There are 2 basic types of natural fractures that need to be studied when characterising naturally fractured reservoirs - whether it be a geothermal or hydrocarbon reservoir. These are extension and shear fractures.
Relay ramps can create communication between fault blocks during an oil field development. Here we look at some examples and other types of segmentation which occur in weaker rocks.
Fracture swarms are concentrated zones of open fractures, over which there is little or no offset. Although there are excellent outcrop examples, these structures can be difficult to identify in the subsurface. An integrated static-dynamic approach is best to successfully identify fracture swarms.