Middle Jurassic of North Central Montana and Adjacent Areas of Canada
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University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1961 Middle Jurassic of north central Montana and adjacent areas of Canada Durwood Milton Johnson The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Johnson, Durwood Milton, "Middle Jurassic of north central Montana and adjacent areas of Canada" (1961). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 7127. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/7127 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MIDDLE JURASSIC OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND ADJACENT AREAS OF CANADA by DURWOOD M. JOHNSON B. A. MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY, 1955 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY 1961 Approved by; 1 A. Chairman, Board of Examiners Dean, Graduate School Date UMI Number: EP37928 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT D tsM Tteton ^jblM hind UMI EP37928 Published by ProQuest LLC (2013). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQ^sf ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 -1346 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT Iv INTRODUCTION Purpose of Investigation............................................................... I Area of Investigation .................................................................... 1 Method of Investigation ............................................................... 2 Previous Investigations.................................................................... 3 Acknowledgments ........................................................................« • 4 PALEOTECTONIC HISTORY........................................................................ 6 MIDDLE JURASSIC NOMENCLATURE .................................................. 9 STRATIGRAPHY Nesson Form ation............................................................................. 13 Poe evaporite and Picard shale members ............................ 13 Kline carbonate member ........................................................... 15 Piper Form ation.................................................................................. 17 Tampico shale m em ber ........................................................... 17 Firemoon limestone m em ber.................................................. 19 Bowes sandstone and shale member ................................ 20 LITHOLOGIC CONSTITUENTS AND ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS Sandstone ........................................................................................... 28 Limestone ........................................................................................... 29 i Page Dolomite .......................................................................................... 33 Gypsum and A nhydrite .................................................................... 34 Silts tone and S h a le ........................................................................ 35 Red Beds .......................................................................................... 35 Cementation...................................................................................... 36 ECONOMIC GEOLOGY ............................................................................. 39 SUMMARY ................................................................................................... 43 REFERENCES C I T E D ................................................................................. 46 APPENDIX Surface and Subsurface C ontrol .................................................. 50 ii ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1 Index m a p ............................................................................. 5 Figure 2 Paleotectonic and paleogeologic m ap........................... 8 Figure 3 Stratigraphie correlation table .................................... 12 Figure 4 Index map of oil fields with Middle Jurassic p r o d u c tio n............................................................................. 42 Map 1 Middle Jurassic isopachous and lithofacies map . 24 Map 2 Nesson formation isopachous and lithofacies map . 25 Map 3 Piper formation isopachous and lithofacies map » • 26 Map 4 Bowes sandstone and shale member of the Piper formation isopachous and lithofacies map 27 P late A Photomicrographs of the Piper formation 30 Plate 1 Stratigraphie cross section A-rA^ in pocket Plate 2 Stratigraphie cross section B-B* in pocket Plate 3 Stratigraphie cross section C -C....................... .... in pocket Plate 4 Stratigraphie cross section. D-D* in pocket P late 5 Stratigraphie cross section F-F*..................................in pocket i l l ABSTRACT Middle Jurassic sediments in north-central Montana and adjacent areas of Canada are subdivided using formational and member designations of Nordquist (1955). The Nesson formation is confined to the eastern and northern sector of study. It consists of three lithologie members which from bottom to top are the Poe evaporite member, Picard shale member and Kline carbonate member. The overlying Piper forma tion consists of three lithologie members which from bottom to top are the Tampico shale member, Firemoon limestone member and the Bowes sandstone and shale member. Middle Jurassic isopachous and lithofacies maps are pre sented which imply a normal shelf to basin sedimentation with modifi cations by local environmental conditions. The sediments include a near shore sand and limestone facies that grades basinward to a car bonate and shale lithology. They imply deposition in warm shallow waters with relatively low energy levels except during Bowes deposi tion. Sandstones in the Bowes member of the Piper formation indicate local uplift in western Montana. Cross-bedded sands, oolites, and bioclastic limestone fragments suggest strong depositional currents. The principal cements are calcium carbonate and silica. Middle Jurassic limestones are classified as chemical iv (basal part of the Firemoon limestone member), biochemical (Nesson formation and upper part of the Firemoon limestone member), and bioclastic (Bowes sandstone and shale member). Metasomatic re placement of Ca ions by Mg ions in limestone is postulated to account for most of the dolomite. Red beds and associated anhydrite are be lieved to indicate a restricted marine environment accompanied by subareal conditions. The reason or reasons for the lack of large petroleum reservoirs is not known. Possible explanations are flushing by sub sequent fresh water migration and partial loss of porosity and per meability because of cementation and recrystallization. INTRODUCTION Purpose of Investigation This report is a detailed study of Middle Jurassic strata and related petroleum possibilities in north-central Montana and adjacent areas of Canada. .Previous studies have emphasized the Williston Basin to the east. It is felt a detailed sedimentation study of the area will add to the overall Middle Jurassic information and is warranted by the petroleum possibilities in this region. The sedi mentation pattern is illustrated by a series of composite isopachous- lithofacies maps. Two secondary and related purposes of this study are: (1) a review of conflicting nomenclature and (2) correlation of stratigraphie equivalents. Area of Investigation The area of investigation (fig. 1) includes eastern Toole, northern Chouteau, Liberty, Hill, Blaine and Phillips Counties and extends 36 miles north of the International Boundary into Alberta and Saskatchewan. The Montana principal meridian is the western boundary of study area which extends eastward through R. 34E. The base of T. 25N (approximately the 48th parallel) is the southern boundary. Method of Investigation Cores and cuttings of fifty-eight subsurface sections were examined and described. Lithology was recorded in five-foot inter vals. Physical properties such as color, crystal size, degree of rounding and sorting, texture, type of cementation, fossils and minor accessary minerals were recorded. Lithologie distinctions be tween sandstone and limestone were made by dissolving small sample fragments in dilute hydrochloric acid and estimating the percentage of remaining sand. Sample depths were adjusted to conform with electric log information and recorded on graphic log strips. In addition, 143 electric logs from other wells in the region were used to determine thickness variations of the stratigraphie units. The relative amounts of carbonate, sandstone and shale were determined for each well or designated interval and applied to a litho logie triangle as developed by Krumbein (1951, p. 2 73-275) and dis cussed by Pettijohn (1957, p. 187-190). The lithologie