Course leaders: Ian Davison and Dave Waltham

This one day course aims to cover the main aspects of salt tectonics in the North Sea Basin and bring participants up to date with the most recent advances in the understanding of salt tectonic processes, sediment depositional patterns, and overburden deformation around salt diapirs.

9.00 am
Physical properties of salt and concepts of fluid mechanics. Physical modeling demonstration.

10.30
Growth and mechanics of salt diapirism. Relative importance of buoyancy differential loading and regional tectonics. Numerical and physical modeling of salt diapirs.

11.30
North Sea Salt Diapirs Part 1: Central Graben diapirs.
Growth history and large scale deformation features.

Lunch 12.30

1.30 pm
Upturned zones adjacent to salt diapirs.

2.30
North Sea Salt Diapirs. Part 2: Detailed reservoir geometry and deformation features: implications for reservoir productivity. Principles of turbidite deposition. Physical modeling demonstration.

3.00
Turbidite deposition around salt diapirs. Implications for reservoir distribution.

3.30
Modelling of turbidite deposition around diapirs.

4.00
Prograding sediment wedges above salt layers, with numerical modelling exercises. Investigation of erosion effects on diapir growth.

4.30
Cap Rock Formation.

Course ends 5.00pm.