Structural and stratigraphic control on fluid flow in the Mt. Conero anticline, Italy: An analog for offshore resource reservoirs in fold-and-thrust belts

Abstract

We investigate the structural control on paleofluid flow in the Mt. Conero anticline, Italy, located in the frontal part of the Apennines fold-and-thrust belt. This anticline can be considered as an exhumed analog for buried anticlines in the Adriatic offshore, currently exploited for hydrocarbons and potential geothermal reservoirs or CO₂ storage sites in the future. By integrating field structural analyses, stable and clumped isotope geochemistry of carbonates, and U-Pb geochronology, we demonstrate that the structural evolution of the Mt. Conero anticline in a carbonate-siliciclastic succession is marked by: (1) pre-orogenic normal faulting and veining during foreland flexure, (2) layer-parallel shortening during early contraction, with the development of en-echelon bed-perpendicular conjugate veins and stylolites, (3) syn-folding thrusting and strike-slip faulting, and (4) transtensional faulting during fold exhumation and extensional collapse. Fluid circulation took place in a closed system, predominantly involving formation water, such as marine pore water trapped during diagenesis. Effective sealing by clay-rich formations overlying the fractured, permeable carbonates, coupled with low displacement strike-slip faults and thrusts, prevented the ingress of meteoric fluids and/or the upward migration of deep (hydrothermal) fluids. Limited mixing between formation and meteoric waters in a semi-closed system was observed during fold exhumation and extensional collapse. Our results show that folds in the frontal part of offshore fold-and-thrust belts are likely to retain fluids trapped during diagenesis due to the preservation of sealing layers. This suggests that such anticlines can preserve hydrocarbon reservoirs and are excellent candidates for CO₂ storage due to their low leakage potential, offering also good storage capacity for geothermal fluids. These results may represent a benchmark for offshore anticlines in the frontal part of other offshore fold-and-thrust belts, particularly those with carbonate anticlines overlain by clay-rich sealing layers.