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Recently there has been a great interest in the ability to relate the hydro-mechanical properties of soils to their acoustic response. This ability could enhance high resolution non-destructive evaluation of the shallow subsurface, and would have applications in a variety of fields including groundwater and contaminant hydrogeology, oil recovery, soil dynamics, and the detection of buried objects. Groundwater hydrologists and environmental engineers are challenged with the task of characterizing the material, mechanical and hydraulic properties of the subsurface with limited information generally collected from discrete points. Geophysical testing offers a suite of measurement techniques that allow for the non destructive evaluation of potentially large areas in a continuous manner. Acoustic testing is one geophysical method used by many professions to characterize the subsurface. Unsaturated and multiphase flow modeling relies on the relationship between the capillary pressure and the level of saturation of the porous media. It has been previously suggested that this relationship may be non-unique and rate dependent. A theory which relates this dynamic relationship to the acoustic properties of the soil was developed by others. This research attempts to experimentally verify this theory by meeting the following three objectives: (1) develop an apparatus and procedure to collect acoustic waveforms on laboratory sized unsaturated soil samples, (2) develop a forward modeling technique using a one-dimensional wave propagation model as an alternative analysis method for waves collected on relatively small laboratory specimens, and (3) apply the theory to the measured acoustic data in an attempt to predict the dynamic behavior of the capillary pressure relationship. The acoustic data collected showed variation in compressional wave velocity and attenuation with saturation, and the trends were consistent with data collected by others in partially saturated rocks. The forward modeling technique was shown to provide objective results with reasonable accuracy and low computational time. The dynamic effects predicted with these acoustic measurements did not sufficiently explain the dynamic behavior seen in the laboratory. This is attributed to other causes of significant attenuation not accounted for in the wave propagation theory that was evaluated.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Investigation of the acoustic impedance variations in the upper shallow marine sandstone reservoirs was extensively studied from 10 selected wells, namely: F-O1, F-O2, E-M4, E-CN1, E-G1, E-W1, F-A10, F-A11, F-A13, and F-L1 in the Bredasdorp Basin, offshore, South Africa. The studied wells were selected randomly across the upper shallow marine interval with the purpose of conducting a regional study to assess the variations in the acoustic impedance across the reservoirs using wireline log and core data. The datasets used in this study were geophysical wireline logs, conventional core analysis, geological well completion reports, core plugs, and core samples. The physical rock properties such as lithology, fluid type, and hydrocarbon bearing zone were identified while different parameters like the volume of clay, porosity, and water saturation were quantitatively estimated. The reservoirs were penetrated at a different depth ranging from a shallow depth of 2442m at well F-L1 to a deeper depth of 4256.7m at well E-CN1. The average volume of clay, average effective porosity from wireline log, and average water saturation ranged from 8.6%- 43%, 9%- 16% and 12%- 68%, respectively. Porosity distribution was fairly equal across the field from east to west except in well F-A10, F-A13, and F-A11 where a much higher porosity was shown with F-A13 showing the highest average value of 16%. Wells E-CN1, E-W1, F-O1, F-L1 and E-G1 had lower porosity with E-CN1 showing the lowest average value of 9%. The acoustic properties of the reservoirs were determined from geophysical wireline logs in order to calculate acoustic impedance and also investigate factors controlling density and acoustic velocities of these sediments. The acoustic impedance proved to be highest on the central to the western side of the field at E-CN1 with an average value of 11832 g/cm3s whereas, well F-A13 reservoir in the eastern side of the field proved to have the lowest average acoustic impedance of 9821 g/cm3s. There was a good linear negative relationship between acoustic impedance and porosity, compressional velocity vs porosity and porosity vs bulk density. A good linear negative relationship between acoustic impedance and porosity was obtained where the reservoir was homogenous, thick sandstone. However, interbedded shale units within the reservoir appeared to hinder a reliable correlation between acoustic impedance and porosity. The cross-plots results showed that porosity was one of the major factors controlling bulk density, compressional velocity (Vp) and acoustic impedance. The Gassmann equation was used for the determination of the effects of fluid substitution on acoustic properties using rock frame properties. Three fluid substitution models (brine, oil, and gas) were determined for pure sandstones and were used to measure the behaviour of the different sandstone saturations. A significant decrease was observed in Vp when the initial water saturation was substituted with a hydrocarbon (oil or gas) in all the wells. The value of density decreased quite visibly in all the wells when the brine (100% water saturation) was substituted with gas or oil. The fluid substitution affected the rock property significantly. The Vp slightly decreases when brine was substituted with water in wells F-A13, F-A10, F-O2, F-O1 F-A11, F-L1, and E-CN1. Wells E-G1, E-W1, and E-M4 contain oil and gas and therefore showed a notable decrease from brine to oil and from oil to gas respectively. Shear velocity (Vs) remained unaffected in all the wells. The acoustic impedance logs showed a decrease when 100% water saturation was replaced with a hydrocarbon (oil or gas) in all the wells. Clay presence significantly affects the behaviour of the acoustic properties of the reservoir rocks as a function of mineral type, volume, and distribution. The presence of glauconite mineral was observed in all the wells. Thirty-two thin sections, XRD and SEM/EDS from eight out of ten wells were studied to investigate lithology, diagenesis and the effect of mineralogy on porosity and acoustic properties (Compressional velocity and bulk density) within the studied reservoir units. Cementation (calcite and quartz), dissolution, compaction, clay mineral authigenesis, and stylolitization were the most significant diagenetic processes affecting porosity, velocity, and density.Well E-CN1 reservoir quality was very poor due to the destruction of intergranular porosity by extensive quartz and illite cementation, and compaction whereas well F-A13 show a highly porous sandstone reservoir with rounded monocrystalline quartz grain and only clusters of elongate to disc-like, authigenic chlorite crystals partly filling a depression within altered detrital grains. Overall, the results show that the porosity, lithology mineralogy, compaction and pore fluid were the major factors causing the acoustic impedance variations in the upper shallow marine sandstone reservoirs. / 2021-09-01

Submitted by Marcos Wanderley (marcos.wanderley@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-07-26T20:07:51Z No. of bitstreams: 1 WELINGTON BARBOSA DE SOUSA - DISSERTAÇÃO(PPGEPM) 2017.pdf: 2079159 bytes, checksum: c91660187b1af81f4801a2dccb0a5b76 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-26T20:07:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 WELINGTON BARBOSA DE SOUSA - DISSERTAÇÃO(PPGEPM) 2017.pdf: 2079159 bytes, checksum: c91660187b1af81f4801a2dccb0a5b76 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-05-26 / O conhecimento das propriedades petrofísicas é de grande importância para melhor entender o comportamento físico das rochas, especialmente quando se considera que o principal método de prospecção geofísica para alvos profundos é o método sísmico, o qual investiga a propagação de ondas elásticas em subsuperfície. O estudo das ondas sísmicas fornece informações a respeito do tipo de rocha e fluidos em subsuperfície: assim, é de grande importância o desenvolvimento de um trabalho que possibilite gerar um modelo matemático capaz de simular a propagação dessas ondas, tendo em vista sua importância para o cálculo das propriedades elásticas. Este trabalho tem por objetivo suprir essa necessidade, por meio da geração um modelo matemático (utilizando o software Comsol Multiphysics 5.1) capaz de simular a propagação de ondas cisalhantes (S) em rochas sedimentares a partir de imagens microtomográficas de raios-X de dois tipos de rocha: arenitos e carbonatos. A simulação da propagação de ondas compressionais e cisalhantes foi realizada através da aplicação do módulo solid mechanics, da sessão Structural Mechanics, que permite a análise transiente da propagação de ondas em maciços rochosos causada pela aplicação de uma carga explosiva de curta duração. Os valores obtidos pelo método objeto deste trabalho foram comparados aos valores medidos em laboratório (P e S) e aos valores obtidos utilizando o método apresentado por Apolinário (2016) para a onda P. No caso das ondas cisalhantes, os valores obtidos foram comparados apenas aos valores obtidos em laboratório. O modelo numérico desenvolvido neste trabalho apresentou uma performance satisfatória na simulação das velocidades de propagação das ondas P e S em amostras reais de arenitos e carbonatos, tendo seu desempenho sido superior ao método proposto por Apolinário (2016). Uma maior representatividade estatística dos resultados pode ser obtida pela aplicação em um maior número de amostras. / The knowledge of the petrophysical properties is of great importance to better understand the physical behavior of the rocks, especially when considering that the main method of geophysical prospecting for deep targets is the seismic method, which investigates the propagation of elastic waves in subsurface. The study of seismic waves provides information about the type of rock and subsurface fluids: thus, the development of a work that allows to generate a mathematical model capable of simulating the propagation of these waves is of great importance, considering their importance for the calculation of elastic properties. This work aims to furnish this need by generating a mathematical model (using software Comsol Multiphysics 5.1) able to simulate the propagation of shear waves (S) in sedimentary rocks from microtomographic images of X-rays of two types of rock: sandstones and carbonates. The simulation of the propagation of compressive and shear waves was carried out through the application of the solid mechanics module of the session Structural Mechanics, which allows the transient analysis of the propagation of waves in rocky masses caused by the application of a short duration explosive load. The results obtained by the object method of this work were compared to the values measured in laboratory (P and S) and the values obtained using the method presented by Apolinário (2016) for the P wave. In the case of the shear waves, the values obtained were compared only values obtained in the laboratory. The numerical model developed in this work presented a satisfactory performance in the simulation of the propagation velocities of P and S waves in real samples of sandstones and carbonates, and its performance was superior to the method proposed by Apolinário (2016). A greater statistical representativeness of the results can be obtained by the application in a greater number of samples.

A modernização dos equipamentos de granulação por via úmida permitiu o desenvolvimento de diversas técnicas a partir do método tradicional. Dentre as técnicas desenvolvidas, a granulação por solidificação de materiais fundidos (GSMF) elimina o uso de solventes e diminui o tempo de processo. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo estudar o processo de granulação por solidificação de materiais fundidos usando um misturador/granulador do tipo high-shear (HSMG) e avaliar a influência das variáveis do processo nas características farmacotécnicas dos granulados e comprimidos obtidos. O artesunato foi escolhido para realização do estudo de granulação devido ao seu alto grau de cristalinidade e instabilidade química. Foi realizado um estudo de compatibilidade fármaco-excipiente usando técnicas de DSC, FTIR associada a técnicas estatísticas multivariadas (PCA e HCA) e cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência. Os parâmetros de HSMG estudados foram o tipo de diluente, a quantidade de PEG 6000 adicionada, o tempo de massificação, a velocidade do misturador e a velocidade do chopper, usando um planejamento experimental fatorial fracionário 25-1. Os granulados obtidos foram avaliados quanto a densidade, propriedades de fluxo e distribuição granulométrica. Os granulados de manitol apresentaram teor de umidade <1% e span de 1,690. Aqueles com lactose apresentaram teor de umidade > 2% e span de 2,814. A velocidade do misturador e do chopper não apresentaram efeitos significativos nas características dos granulados. O manitol foi escolhido como diluente para o artesunato que foi granulado com misturador a 100 rpm e chopper em 1000 rpm seguindo planejamento experimental fatorial completo 32 em duplicata para estudar variáveis de formulação: a razão artesunato/manitol e a quantidade de PEG 6000 adicionada. A quantidade PEG 6000 adicionada aos granulados contribuiu para o aumento da densidade (aparente e compactada) e do tamanho de partícula, e também para a diminuição da friabilidade, da formação de finos e do span. O perfil compressional dos granulados foi determinado graficamente através das curvas força-tempo e força-deslocamento. O tempo de desintegração dos comprimidos obtidos aumentou com a quantidade de artesunato na formulação enquanto a dureza diminuiu. O PEG 6000 aumentou a resistência mecânica e diminuiu o tempo de desintegração. Foram adicionados 2% de croscarmelose às amostras duplicadas e foi observado uma diminuição do tempo de desintegração dos comprimidos obtidos em 70% e o processo de compressão ficou mais uniforme sem alterar outras características do comprimido como resistência mecânica, trabalho útil, trabalho elástico e plasticidade da formulação. / The modernization of the equipment for wet granulation has enabled the development of different techniques from the traditional method. Among the techniques developed, hot - melt granulation eliminates the use of solvents and reduces the process time. The present work aimed to study the process of granulation by solidification of molten materials using a high-shear mixer/granulator (HSMG) and evaluate the influence of process parameters on particle size distribution, flowability and tableting characteristics of material produced. The artesunate was chosen to carry out the granulation study due to its high degree of crystallinity and chemical instability. A drug-excipient compatibility study was performed by DSC, FTIR combined with multivariate statistical techniques (PCA and HCA) and high performance liquid chromatography. The HSMG parameters investigated were the type of diluent, the amount of PEG 6000 added, massification time, the mixer speed and chopper speed, using a fractional factorial experimental design 25-1. Density, flow properties and particle size distribution of the granules were evaluated. The granular mannitol showed moisture content < 1% and span of 1.690. Granular lactose showed moisture content > 2% and span of 2.814. The mixer and chopper speed did not show significant effects on granule characteristics. Mannitol was chosen as more suitable diluent for artesunate. HSMG was carried out with the mixer speed 100 rpm and chopper speed 1000 rpm according to a full factorial experimental design 32 in duplicate to study formulation variables: artesunate/mannitol proportion and the amount of PEG 6000 added. The amount of PEG 6000 added contributed to increase the granules density (bulk and tapped), mean particle size and also to reduce friability, formation of fine particles and span. The granules compressional profile was determined graphically through force-time and force-displacement plots showing differences in work of compaction, compression and elastic recovery. The disintegration time of tablets obtained increased with the amount of artesunate in formulation while the tensile strength decreased. The amount of PEG 6000 increased hardness and decreased disintegration time. To the duplicate samples were added 2% of croscarmellose and a decrease of 70% in disintegration time of tablets was noted and also compression process become more uniform without changing other tablet features as mechanical resistance, compaction, elastic recovery and formulation plasticity.

Partial saturation of porous rock by two fluids substantially affects compressional wave propagation. In particular, partial saturation causes significant attenuation and dispersion due to wave-induced fluid flow. Such flow arises when a passing wave induces different fluid pressures in regions of rock saturated by different fluids. When partial saturation is mesoscopic, i.e. existing on a length scale much greater than pore scale but less than wavelength scale, significant attenuation can arise for frequencies 10-1000 Hz. Models for attenuation and dispersion due to mesoscale heterogeneities mostly assume fluids are distributed in a regular way. Recent experiments indicate mesoscopic heterogeneities have less idealised distributions and distribution affects attenuation/dispersion. Thus, theoretical models are required to simulate effects due to realistic fluid distributions. / The thesis focus is to model attenuation and dispersion due to realistic mesoscopic fluid distributions and fluid contrasts. First X-ray tomographic images of partially saturated rock are analysed statistically to identify spatial measures useful for describing fluid distribution patterns. The correlation function and associated correlation length for a specific fluid type are shown to be of greatest utility. Next a new model, called 3DCRM (CRM stands for continuous random media) is derived, utilizing a correlation function to describe the fluid distribution pattern. It is a random media model, is accurate for small fluid contrast and approximate for large fluid contrast. Using 3DCRM attenuation and dispersion are shown to depend on fluid distribution. / Next a general framework for partial saturation called APS (acoustics of partial saturation) is extended enabling estimation of attenuation and dispersion due to arbitrary 1D/3D fluid distributions. The intent is to construct a versatile model enabling attenuation and dispersion to be estimated for arbitrary fluid distributions, contrasts and saturations. Two crucial parameters within APS called shape and frequency scaling parameters are modified via asymptotic analysis using several random media models (which are accurate for only certain contrasts in fluid bulk moduli and percent saturation). For valid fluid contrasts and saturations, which satisfy certain random media conditions there is good correspondence between modified APS and the random media models, hence showing that APS can be utilized to model attenuation and dispersion due to more realistic fluid distributions. / Finally I devise a numerical method to test the accuracy of the analytical shape parameters for a range of fluid distributions, saturations and contrasts. In particular, the analytical shape parameter for randomly distributed spheres was shown to be accurate for a large range of saturations and fluid contrasts.

A modernização dos equipamentos de granulação por via úmida permitiu o desenvolvimento de diversas técnicas a partir do método tradicional. Dentre as técnicas desenvolvidas, a granulação por solidificação de materiais fundidos (GSMF) elimina o uso de solventes e diminui o tempo de processo. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo estudar o processo de granulação por solidificação de materiais fundidos usando um misturador/granulador do tipo high-shear (HSMG) e avaliar a influência das variáveis do processo nas características farmacotécnicas dos granulados e comprimidos obtidos. O artesunato foi escolhido para realização do estudo de granulação devido ao seu alto grau de cristalinidade e instabilidade química. Foi realizado um estudo de compatibilidade fármaco-excipiente usando técnicas de DSC, FTIR associada a técnicas estatísticas multivariadas (PCA e HCA) e cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência. Os parâmetros de HSMG estudados foram o tipo de diluente, a quantidade de PEG 6000 adicionada, o tempo de massificação, a velocidade do misturador e a velocidade do chopper, usando um planejamento experimental fatorial fracionário 25-1. Os granulados obtidos foram avaliados quanto a densidade, propriedades de fluxo e distribuição granulométrica. Os granulados de manitol apresentaram teor de umidade <1% e span de 1,690. Aqueles com lactose apresentaram teor de umidade > 2% e span de 2,814. A velocidade do misturador e do chopper não apresentaram efeitos significativos nas características dos granulados. O manitol foi escolhido como diluente para o artesunato que foi granulado com misturador a 100 rpm e chopper em 1000 rpm seguindo planejamento experimental fatorial completo 32 em duplicata para estudar variáveis de formulação: a razão artesunato/manitol e a quantidade de PEG 6000 adicionada. A quantidade PEG 6000 adicionada aos granulados contribuiu para o aumento da densidade (aparente e compactada) e do tamanho de partícula, e também para a diminuição da friabilidade, da formação de finos e do span. O perfil compressional dos granulados foi determinado graficamente através das curvas força-tempo e força-deslocamento. O tempo de desintegração dos comprimidos obtidos aumentou com a quantidade de artesunato na formulação enquanto a dureza diminuiu. O PEG 6000 aumentou a resistência mecânica e diminuiu o tempo de desintegração. Foram adicionados 2% de croscarmelose às amostras duplicadas e foi observado uma diminuição do tempo de desintegração dos comprimidos obtidos em 70% e o processo de compressão ficou mais uniforme sem alterar outras características do comprimido como resistência mecânica, trabalho útil, trabalho elástico e plasticidade da formulação. / The modernization of the equipment for wet granulation has enabled the development of different techniques from the traditional method. Among the techniques developed, hot - melt granulation eliminates the use of solvents and reduces the process time. The present work aimed to study the process of granulation by solidification of molten materials using a high-shear mixer/granulator (HSMG) and evaluate the influence of process parameters on particle size distribution, flowability and tableting characteristics of material produced. The artesunate was chosen to carry out the granulation study due to its high degree of crystallinity and chemical instability. A drug-excipient compatibility study was performed by DSC, FTIR combined with multivariate statistical techniques (PCA and HCA) and high performance liquid chromatography. The HSMG parameters investigated were the type of diluent, the amount of PEG 6000 added, massification time, the mixer speed and chopper speed, using a fractional factorial experimental design 25-1. Density, flow properties and particle size distribution of the granules were evaluated. The granular mannitol showed moisture content < 1% and span of 1.690. Granular lactose showed moisture content > 2% and span of 2.814. The mixer and chopper speed did not show significant effects on granule characteristics. Mannitol was chosen as more suitable diluent for artesunate. HSMG was carried out with the mixer speed 100 rpm and chopper speed 1000 rpm according to a full factorial experimental design 32 in duplicate to study formulation variables: artesunate/mannitol proportion and the amount of PEG 6000 added. The amount of PEG 6000 added contributed to increase the granules density (bulk and tapped), mean particle size and also to reduce friability, formation of fine particles and span. The granules compressional profile was determined graphically through force-time and force-displacement plots showing differences in work of compaction, compression and elastic recovery. The disintegration time of tablets obtained increased with the amount of artesunate in formulation while the tensile strength decreased. The amount of PEG 6000 increased hardness and decreased disintegration time. To the duplicate samples were added 2% of croscarmellose and a decrease of 70% in disintegration time of tablets was noted and also compression process become more uniform without changing other tablet features as mechanical resistance, compaction, elastic recovery and formulation plasticity.

The date for the formation of the Benton Uplift, Ouachita orogeny, is bracketed by Carboniferous synorogenic sediments deposited to the north and Late Pennsylvanian to Early Permian isotopic dates from the weakly metamorphosed rocks within the uplift. We address the largely unknown structural history between these two constraints by presenting an improved 3-dimensional kinematic model using better constrained retrodeformable sections. These new sections are based on all surface and subsurface data, new zircon fission track dates and thermal maturation data including new ‘crystallinity’ data to constrain the maximum burial depth. Concordant zircon fission track ages range from 307 ± 18.8 Ma to 333.4 ± 38.9 Ma or from the Late Devonian to Early Permian. Maximum ‘crystallinity’ of both illite and chlorite indicate these exposed rocks experienced a temperature of ~300°C across the eastern Benton Uplift. This temperature is consistent with reconstructed burial depths using cumulative stratigraphic thickness without having to call on structural thickening. Comparing coarse and fine clay fractions, computed temperature for the fine clay fraction is less by ~100°C than that of the coarse clay fraction. This difference is the same for all formations studied. This uniform difference in temperature may indicate cooling of the orogen as it deformed or more than one thermal event.

Overpressure, or abnormally low effective pressures, is hazardous in drilling operations and construction of sea-bottom facilities in deepwater environments. Estimation of the locations of overpressure can improve safety in these operations and significantly reduce overall project costs. Propagation velocities of both seismic P and S wave are sensitive to bulk elastic parameters and density of the sediments, which can be related to porosity, pore fluid content, lithology, and effective pressures. Overpressured areas can be analyzed using 4C seismic reflection data, which includes P-P and P-SV reflections. In this thesis, the effects on compressional (P) and shear (S) wave velocities are investigated to estimate the magnitude and location of excess pore pressure utilizing Eaton’s approach for pressure prediction (Eaton, 1969). Eaton’s (1969) method relates changes in pore pressure to changes in seismic P-wave velocity. The underlying assumption of this method utilizes the ratio of observed P-wave velocity obtained from areas of both normal and abnormal pressure. This velocity ratio evaluated through an empirically determined exponent is then related to the ratio of effective stress under normal and abnormal pressure conditions. Effective stress in a normal pressured condition is greater than the effective stress value in abnormally overpressured conditions. Due to an increased sensitivity of variations in effective pressure to seismic interval velocity, Ebrom et al. (2003) employ a modified Eaton equation to incorporate the S-wave velocity in pore pressure prediction. The data preparation and subsequent observations of seismic P and S wave velocity estimates in this thesis represent a preliminary analysis for pore pressure prediction. Six 2D receiver gathers in the regional dip direction are extracted from six individual ocean-bottom 4C seismic recording nodes for P-P and P-SV velocity analysis. The receiver gathers employed have minimal pre-processing procedures applied. The main processing steps applied were: water bottom mute, 2D rotation of horizontal components to SV and SH orientation, deconvolution, and frequency filtering. Most the processing was performed in Matlab with a volume of scripts designed by research scientists from the University of Texas, Bureau of Economic Geology. In this thesis, fluid pressure prediction is estimated utilizing several 4C multicomponent ocean-bottom nodes in the Atlantis Field in deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Velocity analysis is performed through a ray tracing approach utilizing P-P and P-SV registration. A modified Eaton’s Algorithm is then used for pore pressure prediction using both P and S wave velocity values. I was able to successfully observe both compressional and shear wave velocities to sediment depths of approximately 800 m below the seafloor. Using Hamilton (1972, 1976) and Eberhart-Phillips et al. (1989) regressions as background depth dependent velocity values and well-log derived background effective pressure values from deepwater Gulf of Mexico, I am able to solve for predicted effective pressure for the study area. The results show that the Atlantis subsurface study area experiences a degree of overpressure. / text

L'inversion des marges passives apparaît comme le premier stade vers l'initiation de nouvelles zones de subduction. Cette étape cruciale dans la tectonique des plaques soulève néanmoins encore de nombreuses questions. L'étude des marges actuellement réactivées en compression apparaît ainsi comme essentielle pour mieux comprendre ce processus. Ces marges sont peu nombreuses, situées dans des contextes géodynamiques variés, et les facteurs déterminant leur évolution mal contraints. Située au nord de l'Afrique, la marge algérienne fait partie de ces rares exemples potentiels à travers le monde. L'évolution de cette marge formée au Miocène en contexte d'arrière-arc s'intègre dans le puzzle complexe de l'histoire de la Méditerranée occidentale. Elle est depuis quelques millions d'années réactivée en compression dans le cadre de la convergence lente entre les plaques européenne et africaine, générant un potentiel sismogène fort au nord de l'Algérie. La relative jeunesse du bassin algérien, la charge sédimentaire, les forces aux limites compressives, constituent des conditions favorables à la formation d'une future subduction. A la suite des travaux menés depuis une dizaine d'années, les principales lacunes de connaissances identifiées portent sur (1) la structuration profonde du bassin algérien et de sa marge sud (type de marge, nature du socle,dimension et nature de la transition océan-continent, style et distribution de la déformation compressive), et (2) l'histoire de l'évolution cinématique et géodynamique du bassin, ce qui limite à l'heure actuelle une analyse approfondie des modalités d'inversion de cette marge. L'étude menée se focalise sur la marge centre-algérienne, dans le secteur de Tipaza (à l'ouest d'Alger), un endroit clé pour la compréhension des mécanismes d'ouverture du bassin algérien. Le traitement et l'analyse de nouvelles données de sismique profonde grand-angle et multitraces acquises dans le cadre du projet franco-algérien SPIRAL (Sismique Profonde et Investigations Régionales en Algérie, 2009) ont notamment permis de déterminer la structure crustale du bassin algérien et de sa marge sud, ainsi que la structuration pseudo-3D d'une structure spécifique au secteur d'étude constituée par le haut topographique sous-marin de Khayr-al-Din. L'analyse de la structure profonde de la marge indique un certain nombre de structures héritées de son évolution complexe : (1) une croûte de nature continentale de plus de 15 km d'épaisseur sur le haut de marge (banc de Khayr-al-Din), (2)une croûte fine de nature océanique de 5-6 km d'épaisseur dans le bassin incluant des vitesses légèrement élevées à sa base (7,2 km/s - 7,3 km/s), (3) des similitudes avec des marges formées dans des contextes de déformation transformante, (4) un approfondissement progressif de l'ensemble de la pile sédimentaire et l'épaississement des sédiments Plio-Quaternaire, depuis le bassin profond distal vers le pied de marge,coïncidant avec (5) une flexuration à grande longueur d'onde du socle. Les résultats obtenus apportent de nouvelles contraintes sur (1) la géométrie et la nature de la marge et du bassin, (2) l'évolution de la marge,suggérant une histoire multiphasée comprenant un stade de rifting et/ou d'accrétion océanique, suivi d'un épisode de déformation coulissante tardive liée à la migration du bloc Alboran vers l'ouest, et d'une reprise en compression distribuée du bassin profond au haut de la marge au Plio-Quaternaire; (3) les modalités de réactivation qui se traduisent par des chevauchements aveugles néoformés à pendages sud, notamment au pied du banc de Khayr-al-Din, suggérant un soulèvement du banc de 0,2 mm/an à 0,75 mm/an au Plio-Quaternaire et un début d'écaillage crustal. / The inversion of passive margins appears to be one of the first steps towards the initiation of new subduction zones. This crucial step in plate tectonics nevertheless still raises many questions. The study of margins currently reactivated by compressional tectonics is thus essential to better understand this process. These margins are uncommon, located in different geodynamic settings, and the factors determining their evolution are poorly constrained. The Algerian margin, located in North Africa, is one of handful of modern examples worldwide. The evolution of this margin, rifted during the Miocene, in a back-arc setting, is part ofthe complex puzzle of the western Mediterranean. Since a few million years, the margin has suffered inversion and compression in the framework of slow on going convergence between the European and African plates. This convergence generates moderate to strong earthquakes in North Algeria. The relatively young age of the Algerian basin, the large sediment load, and the compressive forces, constitute favorable conditions to the formation of a future subduction zone. Studies from the past ten years indicate, that themain unresolved questions are related to (1) the deep structure of the Algerian basin and its southern margin (the type of margin, the nature of the basement, the dimension and nature of the ocean-continent transition, the style and the distribution of the compressional deformation), and (2) the history of the kinematic and geodynamic evolution of the basin. All of these unknowns have prevented a complete and thorough analysis of modalities of the Algerian margin inversion. This study focuses on the Central Algerian margin, in the area of Tipaza (West of Algiers), a key region to understand the mechanism of the opening of the Algerian basin. Processing and analysis of a deep wide-angle and multichannel seismic new data set acquired in the context of the French-Algerian project SPIRAL (Sismique profonde et Investigation Régionales en Algérie, 2009)have enabled us to determine the crustal structure of the Algerian basin and its southern continental margin,as well as the pseudo-3D structure of a specific feature in the study area: the submarine topographic highformed by the Khayr-al-Din bank. The analysis of the deep structure of the margin reveals features inherited from its complex evolution: (1) a crust of continental nature of more than 15 km thick at the upper margin(Khayr-al-Din Bank), (2) a thin crust of oceanic nature, 5-6 thick in the deep basin, including slightly high velocities at its base (7.2 km/s - 7.3 km/s), (3) similarities with margins formed in context of transform deformation, (4) a progressive deepening of the whole sedimentary cover and the thickening of the Plio-Quaternary sediments, from the distal deep basin towards the margin foot, coeval with (5) a long wavelengthflexuration of the basement in the basin. Results from this study provide new constraints on (1) the geometryand nature of the margin and the basin, (2) the evolution of the margin, suggesting a multiphased history including a stage of rifting and/or oceanic spreading, a transcurrent episode due to the westward migration of the Alboran block, and a diffuse Plio-Quaternary compressional reactivation distributed from the deep basinto the upper margin; (3) the mechanisms of the reactivation marked by newly formed south-dipping blind-thrusts, especially at the foot of the Khayr-al-Din bank, and suggesting a Plio-Quaternary uplift of the bankof 0.2 mm/y to 0.75 mm/y and the early stages of imbricate thrusting of crustal scales.