Paleokarst and fracture overprints in Mid-Continent carbonates in evaluation of horizontal drilling potential

Conference · Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:7271735

Fritz, R D; Shelton, J W ^[1]; Esteban, M ^[2]; Wilson, J L

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1. MASERA Corp., Tulsa, OK (United States)
2. ERICO PI, London (United Kingdom)

The Mid-Continent region, especially in Oklahoma and Arkansas, contains thick Paleozoic carbonate sections that are dolomitic and karstic in character. These sections commonly exhibit strong structural overprints, including intense fracturing, due primarily to Pennsylvanian orogenies. Because of their rather wide association with source rocks, these carbonates are thought to represent good potential targets for horizontal drilling. The Cambro-Ordovician Arbuckle Group, the Ordovician Viola Group, the Siluro-Devonian Hunton Group, and the Mississippian Limestone all contain zones that are locally productive. These stratigraphic units are either uniformly tight or they are heterogeneous with complex porosity profiles. In karst terranes both types commonly occur together; both require fracturing to increase porosity and permeability. Both youthful and mature stages of paleokarst are observed in the Arbuckle Group; the best porosity is developed in the youthful stage. These stages can develop microporous, planar porous, or macroporous types of reservoir geometry. All of these may be heterogeneous in nature, requiring fractures to interconnect porous intervals. Horizontal drilling is yet to be proved as a reliable method for increasing production efficiency in Mid-Continent carbonates. An evaluation of diagenetic history, especially karst processes, along with local and regional structural settings, may provide a key for improved understanding of the horizontal drilling potential in these carbonates.

• OSTI ID: 7271735
• Report Number(s): CONF-910403-; CODEN: AABUD
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Vol. 75:3; Conference: Annual meeting of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), Dallas, TX (United States), 7-10 Apr 1991; ISSN 0149-1423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
ARKANSAS
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
NATURAL GAS WELLS
DIRECTIONAL DRILLING
OIL WELLS
OKLAHOMA
CARBONATE ROCKS
CAVES
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FRACTURED RESERVOIRS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
PALEOZOIC ERA
PERMEABILITY
POROSITY
RESERVOIR ROCK
CAVITIES
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DRILLING
FEDERAL REGION VI
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
USA
WELLS
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
030200 - Natural Gas- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
020300 - Petroleum- Drilling & Production
030300 - Natural Gas- Drilling
Production
& Processing