Mission Canyon (Mississippian) reservoir study, Whitney Canyon-Carter Creek Field, southwestern Wyoming thrust belt

Conference · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · AAPG (Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.) Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5769701

Sieverding, J L; Flynn, P E; Harris, P M

Whitney Canyon-Carter Creek field is a giant sour gas and condensate reservoir located in extreme southwestern Wyoming in the Fossil basin area of the Wyoming thrust belt. Discovered in 1977, the field contains 36 wells within an area 13 mi long and 2 mi wide. Porous dolomites of the Mississippian Mission Canyon formation contain over 70% of total proven reserves. Hydrocarbons are trapped in a series of complex anticlinal folds which formed on the hanging wall of the Absaroka thrust plate where Paleozoic reservoir rocks were placed in contact with underlying Cretaceous source rocks. The field is divided into the Carter Creek structure to the north and the Whitney Canyon structure to the south. The Mission Canyon is a regressive, shallowing-upward sequence containing a lower section of fine-grained deep-water open marine limestones and dolomites, a middle main porosity zone of shallow marine shelf dolomites and interbedded limestones, and an upper interval of mud-flat/sabkha dolomites and anhydrites. Most Mission Canyon production occurs from porous dolomites of the middle main porosity zone. This section is 300-350 ft thick and consists of porous, dolomitized, mud-rich facies interbedded with tight lime grainstones or tight finely crystalline dolomites. Reservoir dolomites contain intercrystalline, moldic, and fracture porosity types. The best reservoir intervals have skeletal-moldic and intercrystalline porosity greater than 9% with permeabilities exceeding 0.7 md. Porosity was modified by late diagenetic anhydrite and calcite cementation, possibly related to structural deformation. Reservoir quality is variable between wells. Porous dolomites are correlatable between wells across the field, indicating horizontal continuity where the section is not interrupted by faults. Interbedded thin, tight limestone layers may restrict vertical permeability.

• Research Organization: Chevron USA Inc., Denver, CO
• OSTI ID: 5769701
• Report Number(s): CONF-870606-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG (Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.) Bull.; (United States) Journal Volume: 71:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
030200* -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ANTICLINES
CALCIUM CARBONATES
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATE MINERALS
CARBONATES
DEPOSITION
DOLOMITE
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MAGNESIUM CARBONATES
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINERALS
MISSISSIPPIAN PERIOD
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PALEOZOIC ERA
POROSITY
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
USA
WESTERN US OVERTHRUST BELT
WYOMING