The search for oil and gas in Idaho
- Eastern Washington Univ., Cheney, WA (United States)
Between 1903 and 1988, approximately 145 wells were drilled to explore for commercial hydrocarbon deposits in Idaho. Although deep drilling has thus far failed to locate oil or gas reserves, a wealth of geological, geophysical, and geochemical data have been collected, and areas worthy of more exploration have been identified. The wells also have encountered potable groundwater, potential geothermal resources, evaporites, phosphate rock, and brine that may one day prove to be of economic significance. Most exploration has occurred in two geologic provinces: (1) the upper Tertiary sediments and interbedded volcanic rocks of ancient Lake Idaho that underlie the western Snake River Plain, and (2) the predominantly marine Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks in the thrust belt of southeast Idaho. Additional scattered deep tests have penetrated the eastern Snake River Plain, the Cassia and Beaverhead-Centennial mountain areas, the Idaho panhandle, and the eastern margin of the Columbia Plateau. Of all the regions explored, the northern part of the Idaho thrust belt beneath the Caribou Range appears most promising for future exploration. It is characterized by prominent surface anticlines, a thick stratigraphic section from Cambrian through fine-grained Cretaceous rocks, the potential for source and reservoir beds, and numerous oil and gas shows. In contrast to other areas of the Idaho thrust belt, deep formations also contain connate water, suggesting effective early sealing of prospective reservoir beds.
- OSTI ID:
- 6693312
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-930947-; CODEN: AABUD2
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Vol. 77:8; Conference: Rocky Mountain section meeting of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), Salt Lake City, UT (United States), 12-15 Sep 1993; ISSN 0149-1423
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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