Hydrocarbon systems in the East Texas basin: A basin modeling approach
- Amoco Production Company, Houston, TX (United States)
The East Texas basin is a prolific mature hydrocarbon province, producing oil and gas from several reservoirs and a variety of trap types. Much of the liquid hydrocarbons discovered in the basin are trapped in structures related to movement of the underlying Louann Salt. By determining the structural evolution of the basin, a framework was constructed to model the generation of hydrocarbons in the basin. Geochemical data indicate three major source horizons: the Smackover formation (Jurassic oil), shales in the Pearsal Group (Lower Cretaceous oil), and the Eagleford shale (Upper Cretaceous oil). The Jurassic source is mature throughout the basin and began to expel oil approximately 88 Ma. The distribution of Jurassic oil in Cretaceous reservoirs shows that vertical migration routes predominated. Lower Cretaceous source rocks are mature only in the deep, central part of the basin where expulsion began around 47 Ma Distribution of this oil type suggests that Lower Cretaceous source rocks occur only in localized areas of the East Texas basin. The Eagleford shale is immature in the main part of the basin, but it is mature south of the Angelina-Caldwell flexure, where is reached peak generation approximately 20 Ma. Lateral migration explains the distribution of this oil. Migration routes to the giant East Texas field may be 60 mi or more.
- OSTI ID:
- 6966038
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9310237-; CODEN: AABUD2
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Vol. 77:9; Conference: American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) mid-continent section meeting, Amarillo, TX (United States), 10-12 Oct 1993; ISSN 0149-1423
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
03 NATURAL GAS
HYDROCARBONS
MIGRATION
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
GEOLOGIC MODELS
SOURCE ROCKS
MATURATION
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
JURASSIC PERIOD
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
OIL SHALES
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESERVOIR ROCK
SHALES
TEXAS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MATERIALS
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
USA
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
030200 - Natural Gas- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration