流体沿生长断层向上运移的过程是间歇性的。当断层活跃时,它们可以汇聚流体;当断层不活跃时,流动便受到限制。当岩石的剪切应力接近抗剪切强度时,断层带渗透率及流体势将增加,这会导致较高的流量,但明显的流动只限于活动断层的最活跃部分。断层的活动性与沉积聚集速度有关,当聚集的速度快时,沿断层向上运移的流量也大。间歇流学说解释了断层既可作为流体运移的障碍,也可作为运移通道的证据。生长断层作为流体运移通道的证据包括断层区的矿化作用、流体势的降落、温度异常、含盐度异常以及同位素的研究。相反,生长断层区作为低渗透性(运移障碍)的证据有断层带孔隙度研究、流量测定、邻近岩层的高流体势能差、开采地下水引起的地面差异沉降、烃类聚集等。石油从大孔隙空间流向小的充满水的孔隙空间需要较大的势能差。因此,错断垂向渗透率不同的含水层的断层难以导通石油。相反,在烃饱和的均质岩石如成熟的页岩中,垂直运移的烃可被断层汇聚,汇聚的程度取决于断层的渗透率。 Fluid migration along the growth fault upward process is intermittent. When faults are active, they can pool fluid; when the fault is inactive, the flow is limited. As the rock’s shear stress approaches shear strength, the fault zone permeability and fluid potential will increase, which results in higher flows, but the apparent flow is limited to the most active part of the active fault. The activity of the fault is related to the sedimentation and accumulation rate. When the velocity of accumulation is high, the flow rate of migration up the fault is also large. Intermittent flow theory explains that faults can act as a barrier to fluid migration as well as evidence of migration pathways. Evidence that growth faults act as fluid transport channels includes mineralization in fault zones, fluid potential drop, temperature anomalies, salinity anomalies, and isotope studies. In contrast, evidence of fault zone growth as a measure of low permeability (transport barrier) is fault zone porosity studies, flux measurements, high fluid potential energy differences in adjacent formations, differential ground settlement due to exploitation of groundwater, and hydrocarbon accumulation. The flow of oil from the macropore space to the small, water-filled pore space requires a large potential difference. As a result, it is difficult to turn on the oil by breaking the fault of aquifer with different vertical permeability. In contrast, in hydrocarbon saturated homogenous rocks, such as mature shales, vertically migrating hydrocarbons can be converged by faults, the extent of which depends on the fault’s permeability.