Determination and cross verification of paleodip/paleocurrent directions

Knowledge of depositional direction in clastic sedimentary sequences is of great importance in planning exploration and exploitation programs. Directional properties (permeability and facies) are often predicted with the knowledge of paleocurrent direction. Traditional methods of obtaining paleocurrent direction downhole have primarily been through the use of dipmeter data, processed to remove postdepositional distortion of dips. A new method of cross verification of paleocurrent will be explored, using oriented, drilled, sidewall cores, and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS). AMS measures elongate grain orientation by determining the major and two minor axis of magnetic susceptibility of a sample. Since elongate grains tend to orient themselves parallel to direction of flow, paleocurrent direction in a clastic sequence can be determined through AMS. The data collected from sidewall cores (AMS), and conventional dipmeter analysis will be compared in this study.