From fracture analysis to flow simulations in fractured carbonates: The case study of the Roman Valley Quarry (Majella Mountain, Italy)

摘要

This work assesses the impact of the stratigraphic and structural heterogeneities on the fluid distribution and migration within a deformed carbonate reservoir analogue. The study was carried out in the abandoned Roman Valley quarry (Majella Mountain, central Italy), well-known for its historical bitumen extraction. The studied rocks consist of ramp carbonates of the lower member of the Bolognano Formation (Oligocene-Miocene in age) mainly composed of grainstones, and secondary packstones and wackestones. In the quarry, the exposed rocks are crosscut by two high-angle oblique-slip faults striking WNW-ESE with up to 40 m of throw.