Late Laramide thrust-related and evaporite-domed anticlines in the southern Piceance basin, northeastern Colorado Plateau

Journal Article · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:5185146

Grout, M A; Abrams, G A; Verbeek, E R ^[1]; Tang, R L; Hainsworth, T J ^[2]

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1. Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States)
2. Louisiana Land and Exploration Co., Denver, CO (United States)

New seismic and gravity data across the hydrocarbon-producing Divide Creek and Wolf Creek anticlines in the southern Piceance basin contrasting styles of deformation within two widely separated time frames. Seismic data indicate that prebasin Paleozoic deformation resulted in block faulting of the Precambrian crystalline basement rocks and overlying Cambrian through Middle Pennsylvanian strata. Movement along these block faults throughout much of Pennsylvanian time, during northeast-southwest crustal extension, likely influenced distribution of the Middle Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian) evaporite-rich facies. Younger rocks, including the thick succession of Cenozoic basin strata, then buried the Paleozoic structures. Tectonic reconfiguration of the basin's eastern margin occurred during late Laramide northeast-southwest compression, when a basement-involving thrust block, whose surface expression is the Grand Hogback monocline, moved into the Piceance basin. A decollement developed in front of the thrust block within the mechanically weak Desmoinesian evaporites and splayed out basinward as small-scale imbricate thrusts in the Upper Cretaceous Mancos Shale. The Divide Creek anticline to the east, however, is due to both depositional and tectonic thickening of the evaporite section along the decollement. Thrust-related basin margins and intrabasin folds structurally analogous to the Divide Creek and Wolf Creek anticlines may be more common than presently recognized in the Rocky Mountain foreland.

• OSTI ID: 5185146
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Vol. 75:2; ISSN 0149-1423; ISSN AABUD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
ANTICLINES
COLORADO
COLORADO PLATEAU
DATA ANALYSIS
DEFORMATION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
EVAPORITES
EXPLORATION
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
GEOLOGY
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MOUNTAINS
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NORTH AMERICA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
PICEANCE CREEK BASIN
RESOURCE POTENTIAL
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SEISMIC SURVEYS
SURVEYS
TECTONICS
USA
WATERSHEDS