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Black Warrior Basin In -A SUBSURFACE ANALYSIS OF THE LOwER CHESTERIAN LEWIS SANDSTONE OF THE BLACK WARRIOR BASIN IN MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA By FRANKLIN AUSTIN O'CONNOR ll Bachelor of Science State University of New York at Albany Albany, New York 1982 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science December, 1984 "c.· ; " ,,.... ~,"- _. ,,., ·.... : . .· ~ . A SUBSURFACE ANALYSIS OF THE LOWER CHESTERIAN LEWIS SANDSTONE OF THE BLACK WARRIOR BASIN IN MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA Thesis Approved: a~w.~ Thesis Adviser Dean of the Graduate College 1202725 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the many people who hav~ contributed directly or indirectly to this thesis. First, my sincere appreciation to my principal advisor, Dr. Arthur W. Cleaves, who suggested the research topic and edited the text. Thanks also to my committee membecs, Dr. Gary F. Stewart, Dr. Zuhair Al-Shaieb an~ Dr. Nowell Donovan for their constructive criticisms and editing of the text. Without the financial support provided by Conrad Gazzier of Sunbelt Geological Services, Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Bill Niemi of Weyerhaueser, Tacoma, Washington, this project would not have been possible. I am in­ debted as well to Bill Dement of Terra Resources, Oklahoma City for pro­ viding access to Terra's well log library and for sharing his ideas with me on several occasions. Finally, I dedicate this thesis to the memory of my uncle, Edmund Ignatius O'Connor, who died April 18, 1984. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. ABSTRACT 1 II. INTRODUCTION • 3 Location 3 Objectives 3 Methods • . 5 Previous Works 8 III. STRATIGRAPHY AND STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY •• 13 Regional Setting • • • • • • • • • • • • 13 Structural Framework • • • • • • • • • 13 Chester Group (Upper Mississippian) Stratigraphy 16 Floyd Shale - Pride Mountain Formations 16 Hartselle Sandstone. • • • • • • • • • 20 Bangor Limestone • • • • • • • • • • • • 21 Parkwood Formation • • • • • • • • • • • 22 Basinal Subsidence History • • • • 23 IV. REGIONAL ELECTRIC LOG STUDIES 27 Introduction 27 Tuscumbia Structure Map • • 29 Lewis Net Sand Isolith Map 29 Format Interval Isopach Map • 30 Cross Sections ••••••••••• 31 Strike-Oriented Cross-Sections • 31 Dip-Oriented Cross-Sections ••••• 33 Electric Log Patterns for IndividuAl Wells 34 V. FACIES ANALYSIS OF THE LEWIS INTERVAL 37 Introduction • • • . • • 37 Deltaic Models and Facies . • • • • 40 Constructional Delta Exploration Targets 52 Introduction • • . • • • . • • • 52 Distributary Channels 54 Channel Mouth Bars • • • 54 Crevasse Splays • • • • • • • • 56 Delta Front Sheet Sands ••••• 56 Destructional Storm and Tide Reworked Shelf Facies 57 iv Chapter Page VI. PETROLOGY AND DIAGENESIS OF THE LEWIS SAND • 60 Introduction 60 Core Description ••••••••• 60 Composition and Classification of the Lewis Sandstone • • • • • • •. • • • 63 Detrital Constituents 63 Diagenetic Constituents 72 Paragenesis • • • • • • • • • • 72 Porosity Types and Evolution 76 Cone 1 us ions • • 81 VII. PETROLEUM GEOLOGY OF THE LEWIS INTERVAL 86 Introduction ••••• 86 Distribution and Trapping Mechanisms of Producing Fields • • • • • • • 87 Production Statistics • 92 VIII. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 98 REFERENCES CITED 99 APPENDIX A - WELLS USED IN CROSS SECTIONS 106 APPENDIX B - EXAMPLE OF DATA SHEET USED IN STUDY 110 v LIST OF TABLES Table Page I. Mississippian production statistics in Alabama by horizon • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • , • • 88 II. Lewis production statistics for Mississippi by field . 93 III. Lewis production statistics for Alabama by field •• 96 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Geographic location of study area . 4 2. Locations of dip-oriented and strike-oriented cross sections • 7 3. Regional setting for the Black Warrior Basin 14 4. Structural features of the Black Warrior Basin 15 5. Type log for the Chester Group of northeastern Mississippi 18 6. Surface and subsurface stratigraphic nomenclature for Upper Mississippian Chester Group: Northern Shelf of Alabama and Mississippi • • • • 19 7. Basinal subsidence history of Black Warrior Basin, Arkoma Basin and Ouachita Area • • • • • • • • • • ••• 20 8. Chester paleography and deltaic progradation in the Black Warrior Basin and surrounding areas •••••• 21 9. Characteristic electric log curves for various facies 36 10. Lewis deltaic facies elements of the Black Warrior Basin • 38 11. Idealized vertical cratonic delta sequence • 39 12. Four basic delta types • • • • • • 41 13. Sand pattern and lithologic facies distribution in high- constructive lobate deltas • • • • ••••• 43 14. Net sand pattern and li tho logic facies of high­ destruc tive wave dominated deltas •••••• 44 15. Composite stratigraphic column of Sao Francisco River Delta for metastable constituents now dissolved 45 16. Composite stratigraphic column of Klang River Delta 47 17. Net sand distribution pattern for a tide-dominated delta • 48 vii Figure Page 18. Lobate delta model - (A) Lafourche lobe, Holocene Mississippi Delta; (B) Idealized vertical sequence of lobate deltas in intracratonic basins • • • • • so 19. Elongate delta model - (A) birdfoot lobe, Ho:J~ene Mississippi Delta; (B) Idealized vertical sequence of elongate deltas in intracratonic basins • • . • • Sl 20. Delta spectrum - (A) variations of morphologies with increasing marine influence; (B) wave reworked delta spectrum ••••• S3 21. Major deltaic facies and associated electric logs signatures • . •••••• SS 22. Location of core used in the study •• 61 23. Petrologic log for the #2 J. R. Falker 28-2 core • 62 24. Photograph of cut core showing climbing ripples 64 2S. Photograph of cut core showing stylolites 6S 26. Q-F-R plot of Lewis Sandstone without regard for partially dissolved metastable constituents 66 27. Allogenic compositions from thin section analysis 67 28. Photomicrograph of monocrystalline quartz grain with syntaxial quartz overgrowth and chemical compaction at grain boundaries • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 68 29. Photomicrograph of a chert rock fragment 69 30. Photomicrograph of a low grade metamorphic rock fragment • 70 31. Photomicrograph of accessory minerals biotite and zircon • 71 32. X-ray diffractogram of major clays found in the core • 73 33. Photomicrograph of pore filling kaolinite 74 34. Paragenesis for the core studied • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 7s 3S. Photomicrograph showing large dissolution pores inter- connected by intergranular pores • • • • • • • • • • 77 36. Scanning electron microscope photograph of pseudohexagonal kaolinite plates • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 78 37. Photomicrograph showing bitumen within a dissolution pore 79 viii Figure Page 38. Porosity and permeability values versus core depth • 80 39. Illite and kaolinite content versus core depth •• 82 40. Ternary diagram of secondary porosity types 83 41. Scanning electron microscope photograph of kaolinite clogging an intergranular pore • • • • • • 85 42. Distribution of fields producing from the Lewis Sandstone in 1983 • • • • • 89 43. Lewis trap types 91 ix CHAPTER I ABSTRACT The Black Warrior Basin is a wedge shaped foreland basin whose pri­ mary sedimentary fill consists of Upper Mississippian (Chester Group) and Lower Pennsylvanian (Pottsville Group) terrigeneous elastic rocks. Significant quantities of natural gas and liquid hydrocarbons are con­ tained within Chesterian sandstone units that were deposited on the basins' structurally stable northern shelf. The Lewis Sandstone is the second most productive of these reservoirs but its facies types and dia­ genetic characteristics are poorly understood by exploration geologists. The principle sources of data for this study were more than 800 electric logs from which cross sections and subsurface maps were pre­ pared. Production trends as determined from published data, were re­ lated to the isopach, isolith, and structural contour maps generated by this study. A core from the study area was examined to determine the controls on porosity and permeability. The Lewis Sandstone was deposited by a. high-constructive elongate and lobate cratonic delta complex that prograded from northwest to south­ east. These fluvial deltaic facies mark the onset of deltaic sedimenta­ tion in the basin and also indicate an increase in basinal subsidence. Permeability in the Lewis sand is largely dependent upon the ab­ sence of pore filling authigenic kaolinite. Optimum conditions exist when enlarged intergranular pores are free of authigenic kaolinite and "\ 1 2 are thus able to interconnect larger dissolution pores created by the dissolution of mud clasts. Lewis production trends correlate very well with the net sandstone trends indicated on the net sandstone isolith map. Structural trapping plays a greater role for the distal delta than the proximal delta where production is more dependent upon stratigraphic trapping. CHAPTER II INTRODUCTION Location The study area of this thesis comprises all or parts of 17 counties in northeastern Mississippi and northwestern Alabama (Figure 1). These counties include Pontotoc, Lee, Itawamba, Calhoun, Chickasaw, Monroe, Clay, Oktibbeha, and Lowndes in northeastern Mississippi and Franklin, Marion, Winston, Lamar, Fayette, Walker, Pickens and Tuscaloosa in north­ western Alabama. The area represents approximately 10,600 square miles of Cleaves (1983) refers to as the Northern Shelf of the Black Warrior Basin. Objectives The goal of this research is to enlarge upon the understanding of the Upper Mississippian (Chester) Lewis interval as found in the subsur­
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