Geometry, kinematics and scaling properties of faults and fractures as tools for modelling geofluid reservoirs: examples from the Apennines, Italy.

The study of same of the major fault zones in the Apennines was focused on the acquisition of quantitative data in situ aimed at deriving input parameters for modelling faulted rock volumes. Structural data collected in the Monte Alpi area (southern Italy) and in the central Apennines allowed us to: (i) estimate the fractal dimension characterising the geometric complexity of different fault and fracture patterns, (ii) assess the appropriate parameters defining the overall architecture, anisotropy and related permeability structure of the mapped fault zones; and (iii) constrain the scaling properties of some of the attributes (i. e. length, spacing, map pattern, fracture density, etc.) of both fault-related and regional fracture sets. The results of our work suggest that the above data are appropriate for extrapolating field based information at different scales, and for producing 3D models of fault and fracture networks.