.
Geological Significance of Abnormal
Formation Pressures
Kenneth L. Harkins, HumbIe Oil & Refining Co.
J, W. Baugher III, Humble Oil & Refining Co
Introduction
Many companies and individuals have investigated
abnormal formation pressures; however, few studies
have been published relating the geology to this phe-
nomenon. The first and most comprehensive study of
the geologic aspects of abnormal pressures was pub-
lished by George Dickinson in 1953.’ Although he
considered engineering, production, and drilling prob-
lems, his major contribution was the recognition that
stratigraphy controls the regional distribution of ab-
normal pressure,
Abnormally high formation pressures are common
in the post-Cretaceous sediments of the Gulf of
Mexico basin, particularly so in southern and offshore
Louisiana. Wherever thick clays are deposited rapidly,
as in the Gulf basin, interstitial water is likely to be
trapped and isolated from communicating with the
surface. In this situation the sediment cannot compact
and the contained water is subjected not only to hydro-
static forces, but also to the weight of newly deposited
sediment. This results in a formation with abnormal
fluid pressure.
Our purpose is to illustrate the geological signifi-
cance of abnormal pressures by relating their occur-
rence to certain geological condlticms within a speci-
fied time--stratigraphicunit. In addition, it is pertinent
to consider the occurrence of oil rmd gas within the
unit, The designated stratigraphic unit is the Bigene-
rina A, shown on Fig. 1. The area studied is the
Louisiana offshore west of the bird-foot delta (Fig. 2).
The significance of the distribution of abnormal pressure in the Bigenerina A of
the Gulf of Mexico basin area oflshore Louisiana is its persistent relationship to such
mappable geological characteristics as its regional correlation with low sand content and
its confinement to the continental slope.
By definition, normal formation pressure is usually
equated with hydrostatic force. For the Gulf Coast
area the typical pressure gradient, 0.465 psi/ft of
depth, is equated to app~oximately 9.0 lb/gai drill-
ing mud weight. Hence, formation pressures equiva-
lent to 9.0 lb/gal mud are considered normal. Any
pressure exceeding this is abnormal, However, for our
purposes, any pressure above 12 lb/gal mud weight
equivalent is considered abnormal because any forma-
tion pressures exceeding this commonly cause drilling
problems. Some of these problems are lost circulation,
lost hole, stuck drill pipe, blow out, and casing setting,
Any one of these or others associated with abnormal
pressure will increase drilling costs.
Stratigraphy and Associated
Abnormal Pressure
The relationship between abnormal pressure and
stratigraphy is a striking one. Although recognition of
this relationshi~ is not new, a few comments about
it are warranted.
Abnormal presstires are firs’t encountered in the
intertonguing sands and shales just below the base of
more massive and continuous deltaic sands. To de-
velop abnormal pressures the shales usually must be
over 200 ft thick. The intertonguing sand shale facies
forms down slope from the deltaic facies, and there-
fore, as a prograding sequence, tends to rise stratigra-
phically in a basinward direction. Since abnormal
 ~LIOCENE -
LEISTOCENE

Iiij@ItiiO
:;;
UPPER FLEMING ::f::: ‘
1-
Toxtulorio L

MIOCENE

E=13=l
LEMING MIDDLE FLEMING Siphoeeneflno Iomellotq

I
Cibicldes corstonsivor. opimo

10wcorbls bolivoren$is

LOWERFLEMING :::;;::: :,cen,ion,n,i,

I

Planulmo polmeroo
—-

Fig. l—Stratigraphic correlation chart, Fig. Z—Index map showing area of study,
Louisiana offshore.

Dressures cannot be dkassociated from this facies re-
~ationship, they too rise stratigraphically in a basin-
ward direetion and are modified by growth faulting
(Fig. 3). The key to stratigraphic rise of the pressure
boundary across the growth fault in Fig. 2 is Shale
X. A rather insignificant thickness is shown on the
high side of the fault, whereas, on the low side, it has
thickened enough to prevent vertical fluid movement
from the sands and shales below. Shale X provides
the necessary seal for generation and preservation of
abnormal pressure.
Actual stratigraphic rise of abnormal pressure
across growth faults is documented by cross-section
A– A’ in Fig. 4, Although somewhat generalized,
the section shows how high pressure in the Bigenerina
humblei at Vermilion Block 14 field rises stratigra-
phically across Fault Y and is in Textularia L at
Vermilion Block 46 field. To the south, the high
pressure continues to rise across successively younger
growth faults, until at Vermilion Block 115 field it
is well into the Bigenerina A.
Projecting the intersection of the abnormal pressure
surface with the top of successively younger time-
StHltl&iSphiC units to a plan view results in a map
showing regional occurrence. Fig, 5 shows this for
certain stratigraphic units in the Louisiana offshore
area west of the Mississippi bird-foot delta, The inter-
sections shown are at the top of the specified stratigra-
phic units. A particular unit, the Bigenerina A, is
crosshatched to show the areal extent of abnormal
pressure transgression from its intersection with the
base of the zone to its intersection with the top.
Pressure anomalies commonly associated with salt
domes are shown in Fig. 6. A rapid rise of the pres-
sure boundary reflecting earlier topography — and
onlapping sands — associated with the original uplift
are also shown on this illustration. Abnormal pressure
associated with sheath could be misleading. A well,
as shown on the right, encountering abnormal pres-
sure after drilling into Formation C actually finds the
high pressure in D-aged sediments. The sheath sedi-
ments are out of place, having been dragged into their
present position by the piercement spine.
In summarizing the abnormal pressure-stratigraphy
relationship, we emphasize the regular and progressive
change in the age of the high-pressure boundary. The

—BASINWARD+
A
B
c
D A
E B
F c
D
E
F

- PROGRADING SAND SEQUENCE

Fig. 3—Diagrammatic section showing stratigraphic rise of abnormal pressure

related to prograding sedimentation modified by growth fault.

962 JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY

N VERMILION AREA s
A BLK.14 BLK.46 BLK.76 BLK.96 BLK.115A’

-4000
I I I I I
II

-6000
--G Y
l\ t
.

-8000
.

-Ioooo
.

-12000

-14000
~ ABNORMAL PRESSURE
Fig. 4-Diagrammatic section showing stratigraphic rise of abnormal pressure across growth faults.

40 MILES

‘/////ABUORNAL PRESSURE
IN EICEIIERIHA
‘A’
Fig. !5-Stratigraphic occurrence of regionai abnormai pressure, Louisiana offshore,

AUGUST, 1969 963


stratigraphic rise is successive, and we know of no
regional retrogressions.
Lithology and Associated
Abnormal Pressure
Previous discussion has alluded to wedging-out of
sands and diminished sand content with attendant
abnormal pressure, Low sand content is commonly
considered the lithologic aspect controlling the strati-
graphic rise of high pressure in a progmding sequence.
However, attempts to correlate sand percent and ab-
normal pressure show considerable lack of agreement.
Abnormal pressure is not usually found in zones with
greater than 35 percent sand. However, the general
occurrence of abnormal pressure in stratigraphic
zones of less than 35 percent sand appears to have
regional significance.
Fig. 7 illustrates an attempt to relate a 5- to 10-
percent sand line with the area of abnormal pressure
transgression through the entire Bigenenna A zone.
The area of abnormal pressure encompasses most of
the 5-to 10-percent sand line with two notable excep-
tions. In the West Cameron area the intersection of
abnormal pressure with the Bigenerina A does not
occur until the sand has diminished to less than 5 to
10 percent. Conversely, in parts of the East Cameron,
Eugene Island, Ship Shoal, and South Pass areas, the
entire Bigenerina A contains abnormal pressure and
sand percentages greater than 5 to 10 percent.
Paleobathvmetry and Associated
Abnormal Pressure
The top of the abnormal pressure zone
found in sediments that in water
were deposited
depths indicative of a slope environment, This is a
—BASINWARD
A
c B
D
‘5’”9
,%.,..:
;.:: ..,...0. ,-.-..; ::.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Fig. 6-Diagrammatic
modification of abnormal pressure surface,
964
.
function of the quantity and continuity of sand reach-
ing these depths. Where sands did not reach the edge
of the shelf, abnormal pressures developed in sedi-
ments deposited in the shelf environment. Similarly,
where large amounts of sand were deposited far down
the slope, the top of abnormal pressure may ix found
in sediments deposited in extremely deep water,
A factor that probably further affects development
of abnormal pressure in specific water depths is rate
of deposition, For instance, a very slow rate of deposi-
tion in a slope environment might not develop ab-
normal pressures, even though the sediments being
deposited had a very low sand content.
The paleobathymetnc shelf-slope break for the
Bigenerina A is shown in Fig. 8. For most of the area
along the break it is apparent that abnormal formation
pressures occur in Bigenerina A sediments deposited
in the slope environment. However, at a few locations
the pressures occur in sediments deposited on the
former continental shelf.
Occurrence of Hydrocarbons and
Associated Abnormal Pressure
The occurrence of oil and gas has a significant rela-
tionship to abnormal pressure. It is well known that
most oil reservoi, s occur in formations having normal
pressure. Although the high-pressure oil reservoirs
are rare in the Miocene of offshore Louisiana and
represent only a small percent of the total oil reserves,
any single reservoir could be of economic significance.
Most gas reservoirs, likewise, occur in normally pres-
sured formations. However, an important percentage
is usually of the total gas reserves is found in formations having
abnormal pressure.
More specifically, the Bigenenna A oil and gas
+ B
I
-SAND
A
c
D
SALT
E
section through a piercement salt doma showing
JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY
 ●
☛✍

40 MILES

b
4== ●CAMER

/ ‘-’t ..L7

i’ “ i~~lx

Fig. 7—Abnormal pressure area, Bigenerina A, Louisiana offshore.

40 MILES

a#”?— M7RCOANC,T? ]

w. w / J. rROil RKCR
‘\

AH
/ 240’ M - ‘ —’-f. ..d -
_4. .- --~” -- —-. --- -
---

/-\
.- AREA
II +/ /// A8HORllALPRESSURE
~ 5%-10% SAND
~ SHELF-SLOPE
BREAK
Fig. 8-Abnormal pressure area showing shelf.slope break, Louisiana offshore.

AU(3UST, 1969 965

 —
“—- ‘i PASSAREA
-—-. -
~’ 1’, W DELTA
/ AREA
_240’ H - ‘---/. .. /-’
_=. - -= -—-. .47
.— - GR#oJs

l-’ \= ifiM8ALIER
//-\ ~<,
\ --- ‘-:
-.
‘- - w- - 600’ $HIPji~Al
-;2 AREA
BIGENERINA“A”
%CiMERON
11 w.CAMERON AREA VERMI;ON;S”&!f ‘“j;:~1s ● OILFIELD z//// ABNORHAL PRESSURE
AREA AREA ~ GASFIELD ~5°A -10% SAND
G ABNORl!AL
PRESSURE ~ SHELF
-SLOPEBREAK

Fig. 9—Development of abnormai pressure area, Louisiana offshore.

fields as shown on Fig. 9 occur, for the most part, in
areas of normal pressure, The exceptions indicated
represent 4 percent of the oil reserves and 7 percent
of the gas reserves.
Conclusions
The significance of the distribution of Bigenerina A
abnormal pressure is its persistent relation to map-
pable geological characteristics: ( 1) its regional cor-
relation with low sand content, (2) its confinement
to the continental slope, (3) its rise stratigraphically
through the section in a basinward direction, and (4)
its exclusion of the major part of the oil and gas re-
serves. Locally these relationships may be modified
by changes in rate and type of sedimentation, by
normal faulting, growth faulting, uplift, and by the
occurrence of piercement salt domes,
Acknowledgments
We wish to express our appreciation to the manage-
ment of Humble Oil & Refining Co, for permission
to publish this paper. Thanks are due to members of
Original manuscript received in Society of Petroleum En$ineera
office Sept. 30, 1968. Revised manuscript received May 12, 1969.
Paper (SPE 2228) was Fresented at SPE 43rd Annual Fall Meeting
held In Houston, Tex., Sept. 29.Ott. 3, 1968. @ Copyright 1969
American Institute of Minln8, Metalkslcal, and Petroleum Engi.
neers, Inc.
the Southeastern DIV. staff as well as others in the
Eastern Marine DIV.for their constructive suggestions.
References
1. Dickinson, George: “Geological Aspects of Abnormal
Reservoir Pressures in Gulf Coast Louisiana”, Bu//.,
AAPG ( 1953) 37, No. 2,410-432.
2. Ham, H. H.: “New Charts Help Estimate Formation
Pressures”, Oil and Gas J. (1966) 64, 58-62.
3. Hottman, C. E. and Johnson, R K.: “Estimation of
Formation Pressures from Log Derived Shale Properties”,
Trans., Gulf Coast Assn. of Geol. Sot, ( 1965) 1S, 179-186.
4. MacGregor, J. R.: “How Abnormai Pressures Behave in
Coastal and Offshore Louisiana”, Oil and Gas J. (1964)
62. No. 37.127-129.
5. MacGregor, J. R.: “Quantitative Determination of Res-
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(1965) 49, 1502-1511.
6. Myers; R.-L. and Van Siclen, D. C.: “Dynamic Phe-
nomena of Sediment CompactIon in Matagorda County,
Texas”, Trans., Gulf Coast Assn, of Geol. SOC. ( 1964)
14, 241-252.
7, Wallace, W. E.: “Abnormal Subsurface Pressures Meas-
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Gas J, (1965) 63, 102-106.
8. Wallace, W. E.: “Application of Electric Log Measured
Pressures to Drilling Problems with a New Simplified
Chart for Well Site Pressure Computation”, Log Analyst
(Dec., 1965) 4-10.
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10. “MapPing of Areas of High Pressure in the Texas and
Louisiana Gulf Coast”, Bull, D5, API (June, 1954) 32p.
=T

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