Regional tectonic influence on Early Cretaceous depositional patterns in Powder River basin, Wyoming and Montana
Integration of gravity, magnetic, seismic, and subsurface data from the Powder River basin indicates left-lateral wrenching caused principal and secondary shear compression to develop along northwest and east trends, respectively. This well-documented strain fabric caused by Laramide events has affected basin morphology and depositional patterns within the basin since the Early Cretaceous. Regional lineaments mapped at the surface have vertical displacements of tens of feet. These slightly displaced features can be correlated with wrench-related synthetic and antithetic fractures that display miles of subsurface lateral displacement. Results of detailed integrated forward modeling indicate these fractured zones had a significant effect on the distribution of Lower Cretaceous reservoir sands. Case histories from Buck Draw (Dakota Formation) and Bell Creek (Muddy Sandstone) fields illustrate how the consideration of basement tectonic influence is important to the proper evaluation of exploration leads. Proper use of all available data is essential to the reduction of exploratory risk and can aid in planning offset locations.
- OSTI ID:
- 6590989
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-880301-
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Annual meeting of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Houston, TX, USA, 20 Mar 1988
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
03 NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
TECTONICS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
POWDER RIVER BASIN
BASEMENT ROCK
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
EXPLORATION
FRACTURED RESERVOIRS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC MODELS
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
GEOPHYSICS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTATION
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
MONTANA
NORTH AMERICA
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SURVEYS
USA
WYOMING
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
030200 - Natural Gas- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration