Significance of paleokarst in the Mission Canyon Formation, southwestern Wyoming thrust belt

Conference · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:7272025

Sieverding, J L ^[1]; Harris, P M ^[2]

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1. Chevron USA, Inc., Houston, TX (United States)
2. Chevron Oil Field Research Co., La Habra, CA (United States)

Regional studies have shown that widespread karst was developed in Mississippian carbonates of the Madison Group (Mission Canyon equivalent) over most of Wyoming during Meramecian to early Morrowan time. The karst surface was subsequently covered by eastward-transgressive Chesterian to Morrowan siliciclastics of the Amsden Formation and equivalents. These terrigenous clastics filled solution cavities in the carbonate bedrock. Cores from Whitney Canyon-Carter Creek field in the southwestern Wyoming thrust belt provide an opportunity to examine the Mission Canyon-Amsden contact in an area of limited surface exposures. The cores contain intensely fractured and stylolitic carbonates, but also have textures that are probable solution breccias of karst origin. These breccias consist of dolostone clasts that are commonly rounded and stained to a pinkish hue. The clasts are locally draped by reddish silt and clay coatings that are in a matrix of very fine- to medium-grained, poorly sorted quartz sandstone that sometimes contains laminae, suggestive of current deposition. The occurrence of carbonate and siliciclastic mixing within brecciated intervals of the uppermost Mission Canyon is significant in a regional sense. Whitney Canyon-Carter Creek field is over 100 mi (160 km) west of the areas most intensively studied by others. These core observations suggest that the Mississippian karst plain and associated paleoshoreline were located considerably further west than the current interpretation, especially when thrust belt structural positions are restored. Palinspastic restoration of a published regional cross section places Whitney Canyon-Carter Creek field paleogeographically 28 mi (45.5 km) west of its present location.

• OSTI ID: 7272025
• Report Number(s): CONF-910403--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Journal Volume: 75:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
CARBONATE ROCKS
CARBONIFEROUS PERIOD
CAVES
CAVITIES
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DIAGENESIS
DISSOLUTION
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
LIMESTONE
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
PALEOZOIC ERA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
USA
WYOMING