Paleokarstic phenomena of the Lower Ordovician red bed sequences of the Arbuckle group, southern Oklahoma

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

OSTI ID:6249277

Musselman, J L ^[1]

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1. Oklahoma State Univ., Stillwater (United States)

Oil and gas production has been reported recently from paleokarstic Arbuckle reservoirs in the Ardmore and Arkoma basin. The West Spring Creek and the Kindblade formations apparently exhibit karstic features. The most extensive surface exposure of these formations is on the southern flank of the Arbuckle anticline along Interstate 35 north of Ardmore, Oklahoma. The lithology is predominantly limestone, ranging from argillaceous mudstone to oolitic and/or bioclastic grainstones. However, minor amounts of sandstone were also observed.These lithologies are characteristic of various peritidal facies. Of particular interest in this outcrop are three distinct red bed zones. Although the zones are part of the repetitive shallowing-upward cycles that characterize the West Spring Creek Formation, ample evidence suggests the red beds represent subaerial exposure surfaces where karstification took place. Many of the thin bedded, rubbly mudstones and wackestones actually represent varieties of breccia commonly associated with karst. Collapse and crackle breccia are most commonly observed. Small solution channels and other vugs are usually completely occluded by calcite cement. However, solution cavities or vugs with diameters larger than 10 cm (3.9 in.) are lined with drusy calcite. Hematite-impregnated sediment occurs as thinly laminated infilling of solution vugs and cavities and also acts as a cementing agent of collapse breccias. Preliminary evidence suggests that karstification processes were active during Arbuckle deposition.

• OSTI ID: 6249277
• 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

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