Sequence stratigraphy and depositional facies of the Silurian-Devonian interval of the northern Permian basin

Conference · Wed Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:7201793

Canter, K L; Geesaman, R C ^[1]; Wheeler, D ^[2]

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1. Coyote Geologic Services, Boulder, CO (United States)
2. Ensign Oil and Gas, Denver, CO (United States)

The Silurian and Devonian intervals of the northern Central Basin platform area of west Texas and southeastern New Mexico include the Fusselman, Wristen, and Thirtyone formations and the Woodford Shale. The carbonate-rich Fusselman, Wristen, and Thirtyone formations record a transition from ramp to platform deposition. Oolite grainstones of the lower Fusselman Formation were deposited in a ramp setting during an Upper Ordovician/Lower Silurian transgression. The overlying crinoid packstones and grainstones represent shoals that developed along a break in slope separating the evolving platform from a southward-dipping starved basin. By the close of Fusselman deposition, the platform was well developed, with shallow peridtidal mudstones and wackestones, and high-energy grainstones deposited as near-parallel facies tracts over the platform area. The platform system became fully developed during the deposition of the Wristen Formation. Porous dolomitic peridtidal and platform margin facies grade downdip into nonporous, limy and argillaceous open-shelf facies. Platform facies are typified by numerous shallowing-upward parasequences that terminated at subaerial exposure surfaces. The rocks of the Lower Devonian Thirtyone Formation were deposited as a wedge that onlaps the exposed Silurian platform margin. This formation contains a porous, chert-rich, lowstand deposit; a transgressive disconformity; and variably porous, grain-rich highstand deposits representing an overall sea level rise. A major unconformity marks the contact between the karsted upper surface of the Thirtyone Formation and the overlying organic-rich, anoxic Woodford Shale.

• OSTI ID: 7201793
• Report Number(s): CONF-9204139--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Journal Volume: 76:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200 -- Petroleum-- Reserves
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& Exploration
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
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& Exploration
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
DEPOSITION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DEVONIAN PERIOD
FEDERAL REGION VI
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGY
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
PALEOZOIC ERA
PERMIAN BASIN
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
SILURIAN PERIOD
SOURCE ROCKS
STRATIGRAPHY
TEXAS
USA