Hydrocarbon potential of early Mesozoic basins of eastern United States

Conference · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · AAPG Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5793655

Schlamel, S

The exposed Triassic-Liassic rift basins in the eastern US are half-grabens filled with up to 7 km of continental sediments. The location and sense of asymmetry of the half-grabens are closely tied to the structural grain of the Appalachian crystalline terranes on which they have formed. In many instances, the faulted margins of the basins are older thrusts or terrane boundaries reactivated as listric normal faults. The sediment fill of the basins reflect their structural asymmetry. Course alluvial fan deposits along the main border faults pass basinward into a complex assemblage of fluvial, paludal, and lacustrine facies. The oldest sediment fill in the rift basins is dated palynologically as late Ladinian to late Carnian. In general, all of the exposed basins have adequate, albeit tight, clastic reservoirs. However, an insufficient volume of source rock, the early timing of maturation/migration, and the paucity of traps severely limit their hydrocarbon potential. Nevertheless, various non-commercial discoveries of hydrocarbons have encouraged ongoing exploration in the larger basins.

• Research Organization: Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5793655
• Report Number(s): CONF-880301-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bull.; (United States) Journal Volume: 72:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS
EXPLORATION
FEDERAL REGION I
FEDERAL REGION II
FEDERAL REGION III
FEDERAL REGION IV
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NORTH AMERICA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESOURCE POTENTIAL
RESOURCES
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SOURCE ROCKS
TRIASSIC PERIOD
USA