Evolution of salt and hydrocarbon migration: Sweet Lake area, Cameron Parish, Louisiana

Journal Article · Sun Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996 · AAPG Bulletin

OSTI ID:411912

Spencer, J A; Sharpe, C L ^[1]

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1. Amoco Production Company, Houston, TX (United States)

The interpretation of seismic, gravity, and well data in northern Cameron Parish, Louisiana suggest that lateral salt flow has influenced the area`s structural evolution, depositional patterns, and hydrocarbon migration. Sweet Lake Field has produced over 46 MMBO and 15 BCFG from Middle Miocene deltaic sands. The structural closure is a downthrown anticline on a fault controlled by the underlying salt feature. Sweet Lake Field overlies an allochthonous salt mass that was probably once part of an ancestral salt ridge extending from Hackberry to Big Lake fields. Nine wells encountering top of salt and several seismic lines define a detached salt feature underlying over twenty square miles at depths from 8500-18,000 ft. Salt withdrawal in the East Hackberry-Big Lake area influenced the depositional patterns of the Oligocene lower Hackberry channel systems. Progradation of thick Middle Oligocene Camerina (A) and Miogypsinoides sands into the area caused salt thinning and withdrawal resulting in the development and orientation of the large Marginulina-Miogypsinoides growth fault northwest of Sweet Lake. Additional evidence for the southeast trend of the salt is a well approximately two miles southeast of Sweet Lake which encountered salt at approximately 19,800 ft. High quality 2-D and 3-D seismic data will continue to enhance the regional understanding of the evolving salt structures in the onshore Gulf Coast and the local understanding of hydrocarbon migration. Additional examples of lateral salt flow will be recognized and some may prove to have subsalt hydrocarbon potential.

• OSTI ID: 411912
• Report Number(s): CONF-9610180--
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin, Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 80; ISSN 0149-1423; ISSN AABUD2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
FLUID FLOW
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
LOUISIANA
MIGRATION
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
SALT DEPOSITS