Petroleum source rock evaluation of the Cretaceous Newark Canyon Formation in north-central Nevada

Conference · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:5787010

Mullarkey, J C; Wendlandt, R F ^[1]; Clayton, J L; Daws, T A ^[2]

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1. Colorado School of Mines, Golden (United States)
2. Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States)

The petroleum source rock potential of the Cretaceous Newark Canyon Formation, Eureka and Elko counties, Nevada, has been determined by integrated field and subsurface sampling and mapping and by geochemical analyses. To supplement geologic mapping the authors measured a reference stratigraphic section and made four gamma-ray traverses to help correlate poor exposures. Cores and cuttings from three wells provided subsurface control for the organic-rich part of the section. Sixty-six outcrop and ten subsurface Newark Canyon samples were collected and pyrolyzed (Rock-Eval 2) to determine hydrocarbon yield, total organic carbon content (TOC), and thermal maturity. Through solvent extraction, two samples were prepared for gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analyses used to evaluate the environment of deposition. The Newark Canyon Formation is 2,055 ft thick in the Cortez Range, comprised primarily of conglomerates and sandstones with 115 ft of intercalated limestone and calcareous shale in the upper 650 ft. The limestone and shales average 2.5 wt. % TOC, consisting of type 2/3 kerogen (hydrogen indices 7-424 mg hydrocarbon/g TOC). These data distinguish the Newark Canyon Formation as an excellent potential source rock. Saturated hydrocarbon distributions and transmitted light microscopy confirm field observations that the Newark Canyon's organic-rich facies was deposited in a low-energy lacustrine environment.

• OSTI ID: 5787010
• Report Number(s): CONF-9107109--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Journal Volume: 75:6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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02 PETROLEUM
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58 GEOSCIENCES
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BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMISTRY
CHROMATOGRAPHY
CONGLOMERATES
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
FEDERAL REGION IX
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
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KEROGEN
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MAPPING
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
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MATTER
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MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
NEVADA
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ORGANIC MATTER
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SAMPLING
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SHALES
SOURCE ROCKS
SPECTROSCOPY
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