Paleotectonics and hydrocarbon accumulation, Powder River basin, Wyoming

Journal Article · Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1981 · Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5569403

Slack, P B

The Belle Fourche arch, a subtle northeast-trending paleoarch, extends across the central part of the Powder River basin, Wyoming, to the Black Hills uplift. The arch is the result of differential vertical uplift, primarily during Cretaceous time, on numerous northeast-trending structural lineaments. Stratigraphic evidence suggests that the structural lineaments which form the Belle Fourche arch have rejuvenated periodically throughout the Phanerozoic. Evidence includes: (1) localization of Minnelusa Formation (Permian) hydrocarbon production along the crest of the arch; (2) localization of Dakota Formation (Cretaceous) alluvial point-bar production on the crest of the arch; (3) localization of lower Muddy Formation (Cretaceous) channel deposits parallel with, and on the downthrown sides of, lineament trends; (4) abrupt change in depositional strike of upper Muddy Formation (Cretaceous) marine bars close to the arch; (5) superposition of Turner sandstone (Cretaceous) channel deposits along the trends of Muddy channels; and (6) localization of virtually all significant Upper Cretaceous Shannon and Sussex sandstone offshore marine-bar production along the crest of the arch. Subtle uplift along the arch was persistent during at least lower Muddy through Sussex deposition, a period of about 35 m.y. 14 figures.

• Research Organization: Wildhorse Exploration, Aurora, CO
• OSTI ID: 5569403
• Journal Information: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Vol. 65:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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