Structural geology for petroleum geoscientists / Структурная геология для специалистов в области нефтяной геологии

Structural geology is obviously one of the more important subjects for geoscientists working in petroleum industry. Folds and faults in deformed rocks make traps for hydrocarbon accumulation. Also, large-scale deformations, the so-called tectonics, control the architecture of petroliferous sedimentary basins. It is the primary job of a structural geologist to interpret geological map and field data, and infer geometry of large scale folds and faults. However, geoscientists with varied specializations and working with different kinds of data may also be called upon to make structural interpretations. For example, lineament maps prepared from air photographs or satellite based images are commonly interpreted in terms of crustal-scale deformation or seismologists working with seismic reflection profiles routinely interpret subsurface structural geometry. It is imperative that geoscientists with different specializations working in oil industries have basic working knowledge on structural geology. A number of excellent textbooks on structural geology are now available but it appears that many a petroleum geoscientists are reluctant to pick up any of these books. This is probably due to the fact that the scopes of these books are much wider than the requirements of petroleum geoscientists. In this publication, the focus is on topics that I think should be of common interest to most petroleum geologists and geophysicists. I hope this will be particularly useful to those who did not have a thorough grounding in structural geology during their college/university days. Also, students in a bachelor level structural geology course may find this book useful. Detailed discussion on all the topics covered in this publication can be found in any standard textbook on structural geology. A list of such textbooks is given in the reference section, copies of which are on my desk all the time.

I am grateful to Dr. James Peters, Secretary, Association of Petroleum Geologists for his continuous encouragement. But for his persistent demand that the manuscript be completed within a fixed time frame, I would have taken eternity to finalize the same. Dr. Premanand Mishra, Dr. R. Krishnamurti and Mrs. Mamata Gupta are thanked for reading the manuscript cover to cover and locating innumerable mistakes. However, I alone remain responsible for the mistakes that escaped scrutiny. I am also grateful to my friends and colleagues at IIT Roorkee (formerly University of Roorkee) who maintain a congenial academic and social environment where individuals can tread the path of their choice. But for the full support of my family, this publication would not see the light of the day. <...>