Structural development of Billings and McKenzie counties, southwestern North Dakota

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

OSTI ID:6130559

Crashell, J J ^[1]

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1. Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks (United States)

Billings and southern McKenzie counties contain about 40 active oil and gas fields. In the same area, two major structural highs and several minor ones can be recognized. The Billings anticline extends approximately 60 km (18 mi) along a north-south line in central Billings County and is composed of two parallel folds. A second major structure, the Rough Rider anticline, lies west of the Billings anticline and also extends about 60 km (18 mi) along a north-south line from north-central Billings County into southern McKenzie County. Both of these structures are fault bounded on their eastern sides and are sites of significant hydrocarbon accumulation. Episodes of tectonic activity within the area were identified by study of isopach patterns derived from wireline log picks and by subsidence analysis. Although the subsidence of the Williston basin was the principal regional tectonic activity, the structural features in Billings and McKenzie counties were intermittently decoupled from the larger scale basin movement, producing local highs. The two major positive features, as well as several minor ones, have behaved independently of each other through time. Most of the development of these structures took place during the Devonian and Mississippian.

• OSTI ID: 6130559
• 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

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
ANTICLINES
CARBONIFEROUS PERIOD
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DEVONIAN PERIOD
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NATURAL GAS FIELDS
NORTH AMERICA
NORTH DAKOTA
OIL FIELDS
PALEOZOIC ERA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESOURCES
TECTONICS
USA