Undrilled Muddy formation (Lower Cretaceous) paleodrainage basin, southwestern Wyoming and northwestern Colorado
The Muddy formation (Lower Cretaceous) of the central and northern Rocky Mountains has produced over 1.5 billion bbl of oil equivalent hydrocarbons. Traps are developed in buried hills, valley fills, and onlapping marine sands associated with subaerial unconformities formed during a sea level drop. At least 10 paleodrainage basins developed at maximum lowstand. Of these, production has been established in seven. One such paleodrainage, herein designated the Washakie/Sand Wash basin (WSW) drainage, is only drilled peripherally and remains essentially untested over nearly 20,000 km/sup 2/. The WSW paleodrainage is productive in Wyoming from local tributary sandstones at Sugar Creek field (Sierra Madre uplift) and Lost Soldier field (Sweetwater uplift). A major through-going trunk drainage network is productive at Brady field (Rock Springs uplift) and in numerous pools on the Axial and Douglas Creek arches of northwestern Colorado. A recent deep wildcat in northwestern Colorado has confirmed subsurface existence of additional valley networks. Ten to fourteen percent porosity at 5800 m and recent deep Muddy equivalent valley fill discoveries on the southern Moxa arch (Wyoming) demonstrate reservoir potential throughout this trend. Future drilling successes will require 3400 to 6000-m deep tests but should result in significant deep gas and condensate production.
- Research Organization:
- Amoco Production Co., Denver, CO (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6086365
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-890404-
- Journal Information:
- AAPG (Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.) Bull.; (United States), Vol. 73:3; Conference: AAPG annual convention with DPA/EMD Divisions and SEPM, San Antonio, TX, USA, 23 Apr 1989
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Regional paleotopographic trends and production, Muddy Sandstone (Lower Cretaceous), central and northern Rocky Mountains
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Related Subjects
COLORADO
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
EXPLORATION
WYOMING
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
GAS CONDENSATES
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
CONDENSATES
FEDERAL REGION VIII
FLUIDS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
LIQUIDS
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS LIQUIDS
NORTH AMERICA
RESOURCES
USA
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration