Geologic Assessment of Undiscovered Oil
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Geologic Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources—Lower Cretaceous Albian to Upper Cretaceous Cenomanian Carbonate Rocks of the Fredericksburg and Washita Groups, United States Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain and State Waters Open-File Report 2016–1199 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources—Lower Cretaceous Albian to Upper Cretaceous Cenomanian Carbonate Rocks of the Fredericksburg and Washita Groups, United States Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain and State Waters By Sharon M. Swanson, Catherine B. Enomoto, Kristin O. Dennen, Brett J. Valentine, and Steven M. Cahan Open-File Report 2016–1199 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior SALLY JEWELL, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2017 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. Suggested citation: Swanson, S.M., Enomoto, C.B., Dennen, K.O., Valentine, B.J., and Cahan, S.M., 2017, Geologic assessment of undis- covered oil and gas resources—Lower Cretaceous Albian to Upper Cretaceous Cenomanian carbonate rocks of the Fredericksburg and Washita Groups, United States Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain and State Waters: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016–1199, 69 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161199. ISSN 2331-1258 (online) Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1 Assessment Methods...........................................................................................................................2 Stratigraphy of the Fredericksburg and Washita Groups .......................................................................2 Introduction............................................................................................................................................2 Boundaries and Subdivisions of the Lower and Upper Cretaceous Section .............................2 Fredericksburg Group and Equivalent Units of the Western Gulf Coast .....................................3 Nomenclature and Subdivisions ...............................................................................................3 Regional Dense Marker Bed, Edwards Limestone ................................................................3 Fredericksburg Group and Equivalent Units of the Central and Eastern Gulf Coast .................4 Nomenclature and Subdivisions ...............................................................................................4 Washita Group of the Gulf Coast ........................................................................................................4 Nomenclature and Subdivisions ...............................................................................................4 Middle Cenomanian Unconformity ...........................................................................................4 Buda Limestone............................................................................................................................5 Washita and Fredericksburg Groups Undifferentiated .........................................................5 Structural Features ........................................................................................................................................5 Introduction............................................................................................................................................5 Basement Rock—Influence on Deposition ......................................................................................5 Paleotopography—Influence on Sediment Distribution and Heat Flow .....................................6 Depositional Framework ...............................................................................................................................6 Fredericksburg Group and Equivalent Strata ...................................................................................6 Introduction...................................................................................................................................6 Comanche Platform—Texas and Northern Mexico ...............................................................7 Stuart City Reef in Texas .............................................................................................................7 Fredericksburg Group in Louisiana and Mississippi ..............................................................7 Washita Group .......................................................................................................................................7 Introduction...................................................................................................................................7 Buda Limestone............................................................................................................................8 Middle Cenomanian (Post-Comanchean) Erosion in Northern and Central Louisiana .............8 Carbonate and Siliciclastic Deposition in the Eastern and Central Gulf Coast Region ............8 Hydrocarbon Source Rocks .........................................................................................................................9 Upper Jurassic-Cretaceous-Tertiary Composite Total Petroleum System .................................9 Introduction...................................................................................................................................9 Source Rocks................................................................................................................................9 Hydrocarbon Migration Pathways ............................................................................................9 Reservoir Rocks ...........................................................................................................................................10 Introduction..........................................................................................................................................10 Fault Zones ...........................................................................................................................................10 Luling Fault Zone ........................................................................................................................10 Charlotte-Jourdanton Fault Zone ............................................................................................10 Karnes Fault Zone ......................................................................................................................11 Stuart City Reef Trend ........................................................................................................................11 iii Introduction.................................................................................................................................11 Stuart City Field ..........................................................................................................................11 Washburn Ranch Field ..............................................................................................................11 Pawnee Field ..............................................................................................................................12 Word Field ...................................................................................................................................12 Sabine Uplift.........................................................................................................................................12 Waskom Field .............................................................................................................................12 Mississippi Interior Salt Basin ..........................................................................................................12 Washita Group Reservoirs ................................................................................................................12 Georgetown Limestone Reservoirs ........................................................................................12 Buda Limestone Reservoirs .....................................................................................................13 Seals and Traps ............................................................................................................................................13 Seals......................................................................................................................................................13 Traps.... 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