Evolution of porosity and permeability in the Lower Cretaceous Travis Peak Formation, east Texas

Journal Article · Sat Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:5539768

Dutton, S P; Diggs, T N ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Texas, Austin (United States)

Porosity and permeability decrease significantly with depth in low-permeability, gas-bearing Travis Peak sandstones on the western flank of the Sabine arch, east Texas. The Travis Peak Formation is approximately 2,000 ft (610 m) thick and is buried to depths of 6,000-10,000 ft (1,830-3,050 m). Reservoirs consist chiefly of sandstones of fluvial and paralic origin. Thin-section and core-analysis data from a total of 3,680 ft (1,122 m) of core from 26 wells indicate that both depositional environment and diagenetic history influenced the present distribution of porosity and permeability. Porosity in clean sandstones decreases from an average (geometric mean) of 16.6% at 6,000 ft (1,830 m) to 0.001 md at 10,000 ft (3,050 m). Loss of porosity by mechanical compaction took place mainly within the first 3,000 ft (900 m) of burial, prior to significant cementation. The observed decline in porosity and permeability with depth between 6,000 and 10,000 ft (1,830 and 3,050 m) results from (1) increasing quartz cement, (2) decreasing secondary porosity, and (3) increasing overburden pressure that closes narrow pore throats. At any given depth, average permeability is 10 times higher in clean fluvial than in clean paralic sandstones. Clean fluvial and paralic sandstones contain similar volumes of quartz cement, but paralic sandstones are finer grained and contain an average of 7% more total cement.

• OSTI ID: 5539768
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Vol. 76:2; ISSN AABUD; ISSN 0149-1423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
030200* -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DIAGENESIS
FEDERAL REGION VI
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NORTH AMERICA
PERMEABILITY
POROSITY
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
TEXAS
USA