Petrography, mineralogy, and reservoir characteristics of the Upper Cretaceous Mesaverde Group in the east-central Piceance basin, Colorado
Large amounts of natural gas occur in low-permeability reservoir rocks of Cretaceous age in the Piceance basin of Northwest Colorado. Three closely spaced wells drilled through the Upper Cretaceous Mesaverde group as part of the US Department of Energy's Multiwell Experiment (MWX) were extensively cored and logged in order to identify the factors controlling the occurrence and distribution of gas in low-permeability rocks and to improve recovery technology. X-ray diffraction and petrographic studies were conducted on potential reservoir rocks in the Mesaverde. Porosity and permeability of reservoir sandstones in the Mesaverde group are low. Production-test data indicate that production of natural gas in the MWX wells is controlled by both permeability and the distribution of natural fractures; drill cores taken through the Mesaverde in these wells display extensive open and partly mineralized natural fractures.
- OSTI ID:
- 6843347
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
030200* -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
COLORADO
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINERALOGY
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NORTH AMERICA
PERMEABILITY
PETROGRAPHY
PICEANCE CREEK BASIN
POROSITY
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA