This DeepNL project aims to constrain the structure, geometry and rheology of faults and fault zones in the Groningen reservoir at multiple spatial scales. We use a multi-scale approach to characterise structure and properties of faults in Groningen-type reservoirs to understand how such structures are reactivated in response to changing loading conditions, what their associated strength and seismogenic properties are, and how these properties scale with fault dimensions and offset.

This multi-scale approach intergrates new observational, analytical and modelling techniques with observations and seismic attribute modelling in the Groningen field. It will deliver a quantitative integration of fault geometries, evolution and properties able to relate fault friction to seismicity. The approach involves the development of upscaling relationships from physical models, based on realistic micro-structural characterisation of deformation processes and fault rock behaviour. The upscaling laws and predicted structural development will be validated through fieldwork analogues.