New Paleozoic frontier play in eastern Great Basin

Conference · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7042172

Chamberlain, A K

The discovery of two new oil fields makes the eastern Great basin province one of the most attractive frontier areas in North America. The Grant Canyon field in east-central Nevada produces from Devonian carbonates and has already flowed more than 4 million bbl of oil since its discovery 3 years ago. The Blackburn field discoveries produce from Mississippian siliciclastic and Devonian carbonate sediments in north-central Nevada. These hydrocarbons, as well as the other 12 million bbl of oil produced from eastern Nevada fields, were generated from shallow-water Mississippian siliciclastic sediments that were shed eastward off the Antler Mountains. Some of the hydrocarbons were probably generated during and before the Laramide thrusting event and were consequently trapped in large Laramide thrust structures and folds in eastern Nevada. Some of these structures have since been modified by Tertiary basin-and-range normal faulting, and some hydrocarbons have remigrated into smaller fault traps. Tertiary sediments in these small Tertiary fault traps have been the main target of exploration for the last three decades. This circumstance has precluded a concerted effort to explore Paleozoic sediments in large Laramide-age structures. A new effort is underway to evaluate the potential of Paleozoic sediments in Tertiary fault traps, which may lead to exploration of Paleozoic sediments in large Laramide structures.

• Research Organization: Cedar Strat, Reno, NV
• OSTI ID: 7042172
• Report Number(s): CONF-8609129-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States) Journal Volume: 70:8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
CARBONATE ROCKS
CENOZOIC ERA
DEVONIAN PERIOD
EXPLORATION
FEDERAL REGION IX
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MISSISSIPPIAN PERIOD
NEVADA
NORTH AMERICA
PALEOZOIC ERA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
TERTIARY PERIOD
USA