Oil generation in overthrust belts

Journal Article · Tue Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1983 · Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6987895

Angevine, C L; Turcotte, D L

The burial of immature sediments beneath a thrust sheet may result in sufficient heating to generate hydrocarbons. The authors present a model for the thermally activated generation of oil from kerogen and the subsequent destruction of the oil through cracking. Using this oil generation model in conjunction with a model applicable to the thermal evolution of overthrust belts, the evolution is studied of oil in sediments beneath a thrust sheet composed of sedimentary rocks. Oil generation may begin soon after emplacement of the thrust sheet. Beneath thick thrust sheets (>8 km), all oil in the sedimentary section may be destroyed less than 5 m.y. after thrusting. The authors results to the timing of oil generation in the sedimentary section beneath the Absaroka thrust plate in the Fossil syncline of western Wyoming. Calculations indicate that the Paleozoic and a part of the Mesozoic section were thermally mature prior to emplacement of the Absaroka plate. The remaining part of Mesozoic sediments matured only after thrusting. The results are in agreement with Warner's 1980 observations that oil being produced from reservoirs in the Absaroka plate was generated in the underthrust Mesozoic section.

• Research Organization: Dept of Geological Sciences, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY
• OSTI ID: 6987895
• Journal Information: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Vol. 67:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC MODELS
WESTERN US OVERTHRUST BELT
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
WYOMING
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MESOZOIC ERA
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SEDIMENTS
THICKNESS
DIMENSIONS
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
RESOURCES
ROCKS
USA
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration