Geology and petroleum potential of Hanna basin, Carbon County, Wyoming

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

OSTI ID:6186506

Matson, R M

The Hanna basin is one of the world's deeper intracratonic depressions. It contains exceptionally thick sequences of mature, hydrocarbon-rich Eocene through Paleozoic sediments, and has the requisite structural and depositional history to become a major petroleum province. Stratigraphic traps exist within the deeper central parts of the basin in low permeability, possibly overpressured Eocene, Paleocene, and Upper Cretaceous rocks. The Eocene-Paleocene Hanna and Ferris Formations consist of up to 20,000 ft (6100 m) of organically rich lacustrine shales, coals, and fluviatile sandstones. The Upper Cretaceous Medicine Bow, Lewis, and Mesaverde formations consist of up to 10,000 ft (3,050 m) of marine and nonmarine dark, organic-rich shales that enclose many stacked hydrocarbon-bearing sandstones. Structural prospecting should be most fruitful around the edges of the basin where Laramide flank structures exist. Deformation of the Hanna basin sediment package into its 30-mi (50-km) wide by 8-mi (13-km) deep present configuration should have produced out-of-the-basin thrusts terminating in closed anticlines. Strata along the northern margin of the basin, located on the southward-displaced Emigrant Trail-Bradley Peak-Shirley thrust complex, were crumpled into anticlinal folds such as O'Brien Springs and Horseshoe Ridge. Oil and gas ranging in age from Pennsylvanian to Upper Cretaceous have been found in these structures.

• Research Organization: McConathy Oil and Gas Co., Denver, CO
• OSTI ID: 6186506
• Report Number(s): CONF-8405216-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States) Journal Volume: 68:4
• 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
CENOZOIC ERA
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
GEOLOGY
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NORTH AMERICA
PERMEABILITY
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SHALES
TERTIARY PERIOD
USA
WYOMING