The Rationale for Assessment of Undiscovered, Economically
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THE RATIONALE FOR ASSESSMENT OF UNDISCOVERED, ECONOMICALLY RECOVERABLE OIL AND GAS IN CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ARIZONA: PLAY ANALYSES OF SEVEN FAVORABLE AREAS by William C. Butler1 U.S. Geological Survey Open-file Report 87-450-V This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards and stratigraphic nomenclature. Denver, Colorado 1988 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ABSTRACT ....................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................... 3 General Statement and Purpose ................................ 3 Scope and Depth of Report .................................... 3 Acknowledgments .............................................. 7 GENERAL TECTONIC AND DEPOSITIONAL SETTINGS ..................... 7 Precambrian .................................................. 7 Geophysical Expression and Possible Relationship to Petroleum .................................................. 13 Paleozoic Era ................................................ 16 Mesozoic Era ................................................. 28 Cenozoic Era ................................................. 33 Eastern Basin and Range Physiographic Province ............. 39 Colorado Plateau Physiographic Province .................... 42 Central Arizona Transition Zone ............................ 43 HYDROCARBON OCCURRENCES ........................................ 43 PETROLEUM PLAY IDENTIFICATION .................................. 47 Cordilleran Overthrust Belt Play ............................. 48 Location and Size .......................................... 48 General Statement .......................................... 48 Source Rocks and Geothermal Maturi ty ....................... 55 Reservoir Rocks ............................................ 57 Traps and Seals ............................................ 57 Depth of Occurrence ........................................ 59 Exploration Status ......................................... 59 Hurricane Cliffs - Uinkaret Plateau Play ..................... 61 Location and Size .......................................... 61 General Statement .......................................... 61 Source Rocks and Geothermal Maturity ....................... 62 Reservoir Rocks ............................................ 64 Traps and Seals ............................................ 65 Depth of Occurrence ........................................ 70 Exploration Status ......................................... 70 Greater Black Mesa Basin (Devonian Oraibi Trough) Play ....... 71 Location and Size .......................................... 72 General Statement .......................................... 72 Source rocks and Geothermal Maturity ....................... 78 Reservoir Rocks ............................................ 80 Traps and Seals ............................................ 81 Timing and Migration ....................................... 84 Depth of Occurrence ........................................ 85 Exploration Status ......................................... 85 Western Flank of the Defiance Uplift Play .................... 87 Location and Size .......................................... 87 General Statement .......................................... 87 Source Rocks and Geothermal Maturi ty ....................... 90 Reservoir Rocks ............................................ 91 Traps and Seals ............................................ 91 Timing and Migration ....................................... 93 Depth of Occurrence ........................................ 93 Exploration Status ......................................... 93 -i- page Southern Margin of the Paradox Basin Play .................... 95 Location and Size .......................................... 95 General Statement .......................................... 95 Source Rocks and Geothermal Maturity ....................... 95 Reservoir Rocks ............................................ 98 Traps and Seals ............................................ 98 Timing and Migration ....................................... 101 Depth of Occurrence ........................................ 101 Exploration Status ......................................... 101 Holbrook Basin (Holbrook Anticline and Petrified Forest Plays) 104 Source Rocks and Geothermal Maturity ....................... 105 Reservoir Rocks ............................................ 107 Traps and Seals - Holbrook Anticline Play .................. 107 Traps and Seals - Petrified Forest Play .................... 109 Depth of Occurrence ........................................ 109 Exploration Status ......................................... Ill REFERENCES CITED ............................................... 113 APPENDIX A: GENERAL STRATIGRAPHIC FRAMEWORK ................... 138 Cordilleran Overthrust Belt .................................. 138 Hurricane Cliffs - Uinkaret Plateau .......................... 139 Greaterer Black Mesa Basin (Devonian Oraibi Trough) .......... 140 Western Flank of the Defiance Uplift ......................... 141 Southern Margin of the Paradox Basin ......................... 142 Holbrook Basin ............................................... 143 APPENDIX B: LAND STATUS OF ARIZONA PLAY AREAS ................. 145 ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. Index map of Arizona ................................ 4 2. Generalized tectonic map of central and northern Arizona ............................................. 5 3. Location of seven petroleum plays relative to the physiographic provinces of Arizona .................. 6 4. Time scale with geologic highlights of the Arizona Plateau region ...................................... 8 5. Stratigraphic column of the Four Corners region ..... 9 6. East-west correlation chart of northern Arizona and adj acent areas ...................................... 10 7. Map shoving the oil potential of various parts of Arizona based upon the Stratigraphic section present in each local!ty .................................... 12 8. Structural contour map on top Precambrian crystalline basement ............................................ 14 9. Map shoving location of Colorado Plateau and relationship to major orthogonal set of lineaments .. 15 10. Schematic paleotectonic setting of southvestern United States ....................................... 17 11. Generalized isopach map of the Cambrian System ...... 19 12. Generalized isopach map of the Devonian System ...... 19 13. Generalized isopach map of the Mississippian System as inferred from present distribution ............... 20 14. Generalized isopach of the Pennsylvanian System as inferred from present distribution .................. 21 15. Generalized isopach map of the Permian System ....... 22 -ii- page 16. Total Paleozoic isopach map of northern Arizona ..... 23 17. Paleotectonic map of southern Cordillera, latest Precambrian to mid-Carboniferous (Mississippian- Pennsylvanian boundary) time, 625-325 myBP .......... 24 18. Paleotectonic map of southern Cordillera, mid- Carboniferous (Mississippian-Pennsylvanian boundary) to mid-Triassic (end of Middle Triassic) time, 325-225 myBP ........................................ 26 19. Late Triassic summary map showing major tectonic features of Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic time .. 29 20. Paleotectonic map of southern Cordillera, mid- Triassic (end of Middle Triassic) to mid-Late Jurassic time, 225-150 myBP ......................... 30 21. Jurassic - major features of Jurassic arc ........... 31 22. Cretaceous - major features of mid-Cretaceous Peninsular batholith arc and Cretaceous interior seas 32 23. A. Simplified map of the facies of Upper Cretaceous sedimentary rocks in western North America ...... 34 B. Paleogeographic maps of eastern Arizona and western New Mexico during Cretaceous time ....... 35 24. Partially restored isopach map showing thickness of Mesozoic formations on the Colorado Plateau ......... 36 25. Late Cretaceous - major features of Laramide deformation and magmatic activity ................... 37 26. Generalized tectonic map showing Cordilleran fold- belt, Colorado Plateau and Rocky Mountain foreland .. 38 27. Middle Tertiary - major features of middle Tertiary magmatism and development of metamorphic core com plexes .............................................. 40 28. Paleotectonic map of southern Cordillera, latest Cretaceous (Campanian-Maestrictian boundary) to latest Oligocene time, 75-25 myBP ................... 41 29. Map of northeast region of Arizona and adjacent portion of Utah, showing location of oil and gas pools ............................................... 44 30. Stratigraphic sections and producing intervals in oil and gas fields and areas of Arizona ................. 46 31. Map of the western United States showing heat-flow contours, heat-flow provinces, and major physio graphic divisions ................................... 49 32. Highly generalized map showing surface geothermal maturity isotherms (R ) for Paleozoic and Mesozoic strata in central and northern Arizona .............. 50 33. Generalized west-east cross section through Basin and Range and Colorado Plateau transition zone in north western Arizona ..................................... 51 34. A. Index map of the Great Basin region showing major thrust and strike-slip faults ................... 53 B. Map of southeastern Nevada showing location of the Bull Valley thrust fault and isopachs of the Chainman Shale .................................. 54 35.