Relationships between heat flow, paleotemperatures, coalification and petroleum maturation in the San Juan Basin, northwest New Mexico and Southwest Colorado

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · Geothermics; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0375-6505(83)90005-6· OSTI ID:6205931

Reitter, M; Clarkson, G

Across the San Juan Basin both coal rank and heat flow suggest the past and present geothermal influence of a massive thermal source associated with the San Juan volcanic field. Maximum paleotemperature estimates are calculated for the Fruitland Formation coals across the San Juan Basin by correlating coal rank to temperature-maturation charts for the Gulf Coast region,and by considering the effects of paleoclimate, uplift, additional burial and the San Juan volcanic field heat source. Estimated maximum paleotemperatures for the Basin are generally consistent with the regional pretroleum production, oil production occurring in the cooler regions around the western, southern and eastern periphery, gas production occurring in the warmer central and northern areas. Paleotemperatures in upper Pennsylvanian rocks, in the northern and perhaps central parts of the Basin, have likely exceeded the dry gas preservation limit (150/sup 0/C for Cretaceous rock in the Gulf Coast); therefore Paleozoic petroleum production in these areas is questionable.

• Research Organization: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources and Geoscience Department, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM
• OSTI ID: 6205931
• Journal Information: Geothermics; (United States), Journal Name: Geothermics; (United States) Vol. 12:4; ISSN GTMCA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
011000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150201 -- Geology & Hydrology of Geothermal Systems-- USA-- (-1989)
COAL DEPOSITS
COAL RANK
COALIFICATION
COLORADO
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION VI
FEDERAL REGION VIII
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
GEOTHERMAL FIELDS
GEOTHERMOMETRY
HEAT FLOW
MATURATION
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS WELLS
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
OIL WELLS
ORIGIN
PALEOZOIC ERA
PENNSYLVANIAN PERIOD
PETROLEUM
RESOURCES
USA
VOLCANOES
WELLS