Preliminary evaluation of the petroleum potential of the Tertiary accretionary terrane, west side of the Olympic Peninsula, Washington
Convergence between the Pacific and North American plates during late Eocene and late middle Miocene times produced two principal terranes of melange and broken formation (Eocene, Ozette Melange and Miocene, Hoh Melange) exposed onshore along the west side of the Olympic Peninsula. Organic geochemical analyses of 150 samples collected from these two accretionary terranes indicate that they are marginally mature and have a low content of type III organic matter, therefore, they are gas prone rather than oil prone. Geochemical analyses, using molecular markers, indicate that the oil in the Sunshine Mining Co. Medina No. 1 is related to oil extracted from middle Eocene siltstone of the Ozette Melange located as much as 140 km north of the well. The stable carbon and hydrogen isotopic abundance of methane in natural gas seeps and gas in the melange along the west side of the Olympic Peninsula indicate that the gas is mainly thermogenic; however, the relation between these two sources of gas is uncertain.
- OSTI ID:
- 6443554
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: USGS Bulletin B1892; Related Information: List 976
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
03 NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
RESOURCE POTENTIAL
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
WASHINGTON
MINERAL RESOURCES
BIOCHEMISTRY
EXPLORATION
CHEMISTRY
FEDERAL REGION X
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
NORTH AMERICA
RESOURCES
USA
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
030200 - Natural Gas- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration