Hydrocarbon systems in the East Texas basin: A basin modeling approach
- Amoco Production Company, Houston, TX (United States)
The East Texas basin is a prolific mature hydrocarbon province, producing oil and gas from several reservoirs and a variety of trap types. Much of the liquid hydrocarbons discovered in the basin are trapped in structures related to movement of the underlying Louann Salt. By determining the structural evolution of the basin, a framework was constructed to model the generation of hydrocarbons in the basin. Geochemical data indicate three major source horizons: the Smackover formation (Jurassic oil), shales in the Pearsal Group (Lower Cretaceous oil), and the Eagleford shale (Upper Cretaceous oil). The Jurassic source is mature throughout the basin and began to expel oil approximately 88 Ma. The distribution of Jurassic oil in Cretaceous reservoirs shows that vertical migration routes predominated. Lower Cretaceous source rocks are mature only in the deep, central part of the basin where expulsion began around 47 Ma Distribution of this oil type suggests that Lower Cretaceous source rocks occur only in localized areas of the East Texas basin. The Eagleford shale is immature in the main part of the basin, but it is mature south of the Angelina-Caldwell flexure, where is reached peak generation approximately 20 Ma. Lateral migration explains the distribution of this oil. Migration routes to the giant East Texas field may be 60 mi or more.
- OSTI ID:
- 6966038
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9310237--
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Vol. 77:9; ISSN 0149-1423; ISSN AABUD2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Evidence for a deep Mesozoic basin in central east Texas: Implications for petroleum exploration
Hydrocarbon habitat of the west Netherlands basin
Related Subjects
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC MODELS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
HYDROCARBONS
JURASSIC PERIOD
MATERIALS
MATURATION
MESOZOIC ERA
MIGRATION
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NORTH AMERICA
OIL SHALES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SHALES
SOURCE ROCKS
TEXAS
USA