‘Beef’ veins (natural hydraulic fractures) are widespread in the Wessex Basin.
‘Beef’ veins are distributed within Mesozoic shales or mudstones.
Hydrocarbons are present within the fibres of ‘beef’ veins.
The development of ‘beef’ has been synchronous with hydrocarbon generation.
The formation of ‘beef’ has taken place during inversion of the Wessex Basin.