Stratigraphy and sedimentology of ledge sandstone in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge northeastern Alaska

Conference · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6183711

Cloft, H S

Data collected from four measured sections of the Ledge Sandstone member of the Ivishak Formation are presented. These sections are located in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in northeastern Alaska. The Ledge Sandstone is the time equivalent of the Ivishak sandstones that form the reservoir in the Prudhoe Bay field, east of the study area. The ANWR region is of interest for oil and gas exploration owing to the numerous oil seeps on the coastal plain and surficial expression of possible subsurface antiforms. The Ledge Sandstone in ANWR consists primarily of a massive, thickly bedded, very fine to fine-grained, well-sorted quartz sandstone. The thick sandstones are separated by thin siltstone intervals ranging from less than an inch to several feet in thickness. Although the thicker siltstones appear laterally continuous, the thinner beds generally are lenticular over short distances (10 to 20 ft; 3 to 6 m). Cementation of the siltstone appears sporadic, varying laterally and vertically within the unit. Burrowing is extensive in the siltstone intervals. Typically, burrowing cannot be detected in the sandstones because of the obliteration by lithification and diagenetic processes. Fossils are sparse throughout the unit, even in the poorly lithified silts. These data are consistent with a shallow marine environment, within wave base. This contrasts with the nonmarine conglomerates and sandstones of Prudhoe Bay. Time-equivalent units to the south and west consist primarily of cherts and shales of probable deep marine origin, with some arkosic sandstones dolomites occuring in NPRA. Thus a paloshoreline is probably located somewha north of the measured sections.

• Research Organization: Placid Oil Co., Anchorage, AK
• OSTI ID: 6183711
• Report Number(s): CONF-8304200-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States) Journal Volume: 67:3
• 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
ALASKA
ALASKAN NORTH SLOPE
DEPOSITION
EXPLORATION
FEDERAL REGION X
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGY
LITHOLOGY
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NORTH AMERICA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
STRATIGRAPHY
USA