Subsurface stratigraphy and depositional environment of Ravencliff Sandstone (Upper Mississippian) in southern West Virginia

Conference · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5849230

Wrightstone, G R

This study, a stratigraphic subsurface analysis of the Ravencliff sandstone, attempted to determine the depositional environments, depositional history, and paleogeography of the interval. Gas production was compared to thickness, position on sand trends, shale content, porosity, and structural position to determine the effect that these have on the Ravencliff gas production. The study area includes 1037 mi/sup 2/ (2686 km/sup 2/) from the subsurface of southern West Virginia counties of McDowell, Wyoming, and Mercer. The interval studied is a member of the Hinton Formation of the Mauch Chunk Group. This Ravencliff interval is bounded below by the Avis Limestone, a marine unit, and bounded above by a black, carbonaceous shale. Thickness of the interval ranges from 150 ft (45 m) in northwestern Wyoming County to 450 ft (137 m) in southeastern Mercer County. Petrographically, the Ravencliff sandstone is a clean white sandstone showing well-rounded grains and pebbles and commonly containing more than 90% quartz. Examination of three cores from the area reveals an orthoquartzitic sandstone with conglomeratic and pebbly zones throughout. Twenty-three cross sections were constructed and show multiple stacked sandstones up to 150 ft (45 m) thick. Lithofacies, isopach, and isolith maps of the interval and individual sandstones reveal a series of northeast-southwest sandstone trends.

• OSTI ID: 5849230
• Report Number(s): CONF-8410269-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States) Journal Volume: 68:12
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
030200* -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
DEPOSITION
FEDERAL REGION III
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGY
MINERAL RESOURCES
MISSISSIPPIAN PERIOD
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NORTH AMERICA
PALEOZOIC ERA
PETROGRAPHY
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
STRATIGRAPHY
USA
WEST VIRGINIA