AN OBSERVATION ON THE FRACTURE SYSTEMS OF THE SOUTHERN VIETNAM

A study of the fracture systems in outcrops of southern onshore Vietnam revealed two kinds of fracture groups according to their origin: cooling fractures and deformation related fractures. Cooling of magma introduced extensive fractures in the batholiths with wide spacing and narrow aperture. They are found widespread in all magmatic bodies, but result in poor reservoir quality due to low bulk porosity and narrow aperture. Cooling fractures are often reactivated during later stress regimes. Deformation related fractures, especially 'fault damage zones' and 'hanging wall deformation' is thought to form the most important reservoir type in the fractured basement rock. The porosity formed by intense fracturing and fault breccia along minor fault zones is thought to be the producing zones in the producing fields of Cuu Long basin. They are found along major faults and widespread in hanging wall blocks.