Petroleum potential and stratigraphy of Holitna basin, Alaska
The Holitna basin, an interior Alaskan basin, is flanked by Cambrian to cretaceous sedimentary rocks that have been highly folded and faulted. Gravity mapping and modeling indicate up to 15,000 ft of sedimentary section is present within the basin. Cambrian rocks consist of trilobite-hash lime mudstone, red siltstone, and basinal chert. Ordovician through Devonian basinal facies rocks consist of platy limestone to graptolitic shale with minor interbeds of limestone turbidites and turbidite-channel debris flows. Ordovician through Middle Devonian shallow-water platform carbonate rocks prograde over the basinal rocks and are composed of algal boundstone buildups with associated inboard lagoonal, oolitic shoal, and tidal-channel deposits. Toward the interior of the platform, restricted subtidal and intertidal to supratidal carbonate rocks were deposited. Upper Devonian to Permian platform carbonate deposition occurred to the east of the older platform rocks and conformably(.) over basinal rocks. Minor mixed carbonate-clastic deposition occurred into Triassic time. The Cretaceous Kuskokwim Group is in fault contact with and/or unconformably overlies the Paleozoic carbonates. This unit varies from lithic-rich conglomerates to marine turbidite deposits. Maturation values for Cretaceous and Paleozoic rocks are within the oil window, with most of the shales showing a thermal alteration index (TAI) from 2 to 3. Organic carbon content exceeds 3% in some samples, however, deep surface weathering has resulted in low hydrocarbon values. The lithic-rich Cretaceous sandstones are well indurated, poorly sorted, and are considered to have low reservoir potential. Partly dolomitized, shallow-water Ordovician to Devonian carbonate rocks are the best potential reservoir rocks exhibiting vuggy porosities greater than 10% and good intergranular porosity.
- Research Organization:
- State of Alaska, Anchorage
- OSTI ID:
- 5701148
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-850322-
- Journal Information:
- Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States) Vol. 69:2; ISSN AAPGB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
ALASKA
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM CARBONATES
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATE MINERALS
CARBONATE ROCKS
CARBONATES
DOLOMITE
EXPLORATION
FEDERAL REGION X
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
GRAVITY SURVEYS
MAGNESIUM CARBONATES
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINERALS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCE POTENTIAL
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SURVEYS
USA