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Thermal maturation by vitrinite reflectance of Woodford shale, Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma

Conference · · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)
OSTI ID:5631944

Vitrinite reflectance was measured on 40 grab samples from outcrops of the Woodford Shale (Upper Devonian-Lower Mississippian) collected near the Washita Valley fault in the Arbuckle Mountains in south-central Oklahoma. Samples are widely distributed along 40 km. Sample localities range from 60 m to 7.63 km from the Washita Valley fault. Well-indurated shale samples were collected from below the outcrop surface to reduce the effect of weathering on vitrinite reflectance. Vitrinite reflectance values were measured from standard kerogen concentrate pellets. Implications of the data specific to the Arbuckle Mountains include the Woodford Shale is immature to marginally mature with respect to the generation of liquid hydrocarbons; high heat flow associated with the rifting stage of the southern Oklahoma aulacogen was diminished by Late Devonian; the Woodford Shale was never deeply buried; and frictional heating from the Washita Valley fault did not affect the temperature field significantly.

OSTI ID:
5631944
Report Number(s):
CONF-8910195--
Journal Information:
AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA), Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA) Vol. 73:9; ISSN AABUD; ISSN 0149-1423
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English