Identification of geopressured occurrences outside of the Gulf Coast

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:6480234

Strongin, O

Methane dissolved in saline formation waters under abnormally high pressure (geopressure) is one of several unconventional gas sources that is under intensive investigation by the Department of Energy. The most well-known and studied region of geopressures in the US is the Gulf Coast geosyncline. Recent studies, however, indicate that this phenomenon is displayed in many other sedimentary basins encompassing lithologies and sedimentary environments unlike those of the Gulf Coast. These include various Rocky Mountain and Mid-Continent basins, onshore and offshore Californian, Alaskan and Pacific Coast basins, and other isolated occurrences. Of this group, two prime target areas, based on the indicated methane content of geopressured formation waters, would include the Cambrian sands of the Rome trough in West Virginia and selected Miocene sediments along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley in California.

• Research Organization: Science Applications, Inc., McLean, VA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC08-80NV10133
• OSTI ID: 6480234
• Report Number(s): CONF-810812-28; ON: DE81025511
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150101* -- Geothermal Energy-- Resources & Availability-- USA-- (-1989)
ABUNDANCE
ALKANES
APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS
EAST COAST
ENERGY SYSTEMS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOPRESSURED SYSTEMS
GULF COAST
Geothermal Legacy
HYDROCARBONS
METHANE
MOUNTAINS
NATURAL OCCURRENCE
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ROCKY MOUNTAINS
SALINITY
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
USA
WEST COAST