TERMIUM Plus®

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IMPERVIOUS ROCK [2 records]

Record 1 2021-07-14

English

Subject field(s)
  • Petrography
DEF

The impermeable rock overlying an oil or gas reservoir that tends to prevent migration of the reservoir fluids from the reservoir.

CONT

Oil and gas become trapped in the subsurface where there is a barrier formed by impermeable rocks, such as well-cemented lithologies, mudrock and evaporite beds. These impermeable lithologies are known as cap rocks. The hydrocarbons will find their way around the cap-rock barrier unless there is some form of hydrocarbon trap that prevents further upward migration.

OBS

All cap rocks are impermeable, therefore making the terms "impermeable cap rock" and "impervious cap rock" redundant.

Key term(s)
  • caprock

French

Domaine(s)
  • Pétrographie
DEF

[...] barrière étanche [permettant] de sceller la roche réservoir, évitant par le fait même une dispersion du pétrole et du gaz naturel.

OBS

Comme les roches couverture sont toujours imperméables, le terme «roche couverture imperméable» est redondant.

Key term(s)
  • roche-couverture
  • roche-couverture imperméable

Spanish

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Record 2 1977-12-17

English

Subject field(s)
  • Geology
OBS

Impervious or impermeable rocks are those through which water cannot easily soak; they may be of two kinds: porous, like clay, or relatively non-porous, like massive unfissured granite. (...) porosity is not necessarily a sufficient condition to ensure permeability.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Géologie
OBS

Somme toute, l'eau de pluie remplit des sortes de récipients terrestres, formés de roches dites perméables, opposées aux roches imperméables qui ne se laissent pas facilement traverser.

Spanish

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