Organic-matter preservation in Chattanooga Shale: revised Late Devonian correlations, Kentucky and Tennessee

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

OSTI ID:6363737

Kepferle, R C; Pollock, J D; Barron, L S

Continued interest in the carbon-rich shale of Devonian and Mississippian age in Kentucky is reflected by intensive leasing and drilling to evaluate the potential reserves of oil shale. Thicker accumulations of shale suitable for surface extraction lie along the flanks of the Cincinnati arch in both the Illinois and Appalachian basins. The shale tends to thin across the Cincinnati arch by an order of magnitude (100 versus 10 m, 330 versus 33 ft), and individual units disappear entirely. Key beds have been used with mixed success in tracing these changes. Recognition of these key beds in cores provided by a recently completed 70-core drilling program in and near the outcrop is the basis for revising earlier suggested correlations. One key bed, marked by the occurrence of the alga. Foerstia (Protosalvinia), occurs in the lower part of the lower (Huron) member of the Ohio Shale in the Appalachian basin. The Huron Member is overlain by a lithostratigraphic marker, the Three Lick Bed. The Foerstia Zone has been traced in core and outcrop to the upper part of the uppermost (Clegg Creek) member of the New Albany Shale in the Illinois basin. Discovery in this widespread continuous biostratigraphic marker at the top of the upper (Gassaway) member of the Chattanooga Shale near the designated reference section in Dekalb County, Tennessee, suggests that the Three Lick Bed of the Ohio Shales does not correlate with the unit of the Gassaway Member of the Chattanooga Shale as thought. Field relations indicate that the Three Lick Bed is absent by nondeposition, and starved-basin conditions prevailed into Early Mississippian time in this part of Tennessee.

• Research Organization: Eastern Kentucky Univ., Richmond
• OSTI ID: 6363737
• 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

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040201* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Site Geology-- (-1989)
CHATTANOOGA FORMATION
CORRELATIONS
DEVONIAN PERIOD
DRILLING
FEDERAL REGION IV
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC MODELS
GEOLOGY
KENTUCKY
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
OIL SHALE DEPOSITS
ORGANIC MATTER
PALEOZOIC ERA
RESERVES
RESOURCES
STRATIGRAPHY
TENNESSEE
USA
WELL DRILLING