Structural interpretation of the Horse Center anticline, western margin of the Bighorn basin, Wyoming

Conference · Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:5801799

Dutton, L A ^[1]

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1. Baylor Univ., Waco, TX (United States)

Horse Center anticline is an asymmetrical structure on the western flank of the Bighorn basin. This type of basin-flank anticline has created structural traps for hydrocarbons throughout the foreland region. While no commercial hydrocarbons have been discovered at Horse Center, significant shows have been found in the Paleozoic section. Cretaceous and Jurassic sands and shales are exposed on the flanks of the structure, with the red beds of the Triassic Chugwater exposed in the core. Seismic data indicate that the Precambrian basement forcing block moves along a high-angle reverse fault. Resultant compressional folding of the overlying sedimentary section creates volumetric adjustments along detachment zones in less competent units. One such feature, a cross-crestal structure, can be observed at the surface, where bedding plane slip in Jurassic shales offsets the southern crest of the anticline. Although the fold axis trends northwest-southeast, typical of many Wyoming foreland structures, there is a distinct shift in vergence from southwest to northeast along the axis of Horse Center. Detailed analysis of well data and seismic data also confirms this change in asymmetry. This change may indicate the presence of a 'compartmental' fault, localized over a zone of weakness in the Precambrian basement. Surface mapping indicates that north of this change, there is an anticlinal/synclinal structural development on the western side of Horse Center. These paired structural suggest a possible 'plunging out' of anticlines, reflecting an en echelon arrangement of structures at depth, rather than a continuity along the axis of Horse Center, as has been previously mapped.

• OSTI ID: 5801799
• Report Number(s): CONF-910403-; CODEN: AABUD
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Vol. 75:3; Conference: Annual meeting of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), Dallas, TX (United States), 7-10 Apr 1991; ISSN 0149-1423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
WYOMING
ANTICLINES
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
GEOMETRY
JURASSIC PERIOD
MAPPING
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEISMIC SURVEYS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
MATHEMATICS
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
RESOURCES
SURVEYS
USA
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
030200 - Natural Gas- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration