Hydrocarbon traps within a seismic sequence framework, Stevens turbidites, southern San Joaquin Valley, CA

Conference · Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:5255107

Hewlett, J S; Jordan, D W ^[1]; Crebs, T J; Moorefield, T P ^[2]

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1. ARCO Oil and Gas Co., Plano, TX (United States)
2. ARCO Oil and Gas Co., Bakersfield, CA (United States)

Interpretation of the seismic sequence framework and log and lithologic character of upper Miocene Stevens turbidites on the Bakersfield arch has led to an improved understanding of the expression of stratigraphic trapping that should reduce exploration risk in the basin, and may aid exploration efforts in similar sand-rich systems globally. These deepwater sandstones are contained within three lowstand turbidite systems (LTS) that were deposited in a narrow deepwater basin adjacent to the ancestral Sierra Nevada. the oldest LTS, the Coulter, was transported through several submarine canyons incised into the Fruitvale Shale. In contrast, numerous smaller scale erosional features located on the high-relief slopes of the highstand Santa Margarita deltas, fed the overlying Gosford and Bellevue LTS. The systems consist of sandy, high-density (primarily) and low-density turbidites that were deposited within channel-lobe complexes. On the arch, 472 MMBO and 1.3 tcf have been produced from four seismically detectable traps with strong stratigraphic components: (1) sandstone permeability changes within turbidite wedges that thin rapidly onto structure (2) confined (channelized) turbidites that lap out on a structure (e.g., F-1 sand, South Coles levee), (3) channelized turbidites that pinch out within slope gullies, and (4) depositional compaction anticlines occurring in conjunction with low-gradient regional structure. Condensed section sediments form regional and reservoir-scale seals. Rapid lateral facies changes and grain size variations provide additional seal facies.

• OSTI ID: 5255107
• Report Number(s): CONF-9103128-; CODEN: AABUD
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Vol. 75:2; Conference: American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)/Society of Economics, Paleontolgists, and Mineralogists (SEPM)/Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG)/Society of Professional Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) Pacific Section annual meeting, Bakersfield, CA (United States), 6-8 Mar 1991; ISSN 0149-1423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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SEDIMENTARY BASINS
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