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Geology and Petroleum Resources of the Major Oil-Impregnated Sandstone Deposits of Utah

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Geology and Petroleum Resources of the Major Oil-Impregnated Sandstone Deposits of Utah GEOLOGY AND PETROLEUM RESOURCES OF THE MAJOR OIL-IMPREGNATED SANDSTONE DEPOSITS OF UTAH by Jock A. Campbell and Howard R. Ritzma UTAH GEOLOGICAL AND MINERAL SURVEY A Division of the UTAH DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES en 2 0.. ~. Ut o SPECIAL STUDIES 50 AUGUST 1979 STATE OF UTAH Scott M. Matheson, Governor DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Gordon E. Harmston, Executive Director UTAH GEOLOGICAL AND MINERAL SURVEY Donald T. McMillan, Director BOARD Paul M. Dougan, Chairman .................................... Equity Oil Company Robert W. Bernick, Vice Chairman ...................... Walker Bank and Trust Company Benton Boyd ......................................................Retired Mrs. Philip A. Mallinckrodt ........................................Public-at-Large Elliot Rich .............................................. Utah State University Kenneth R. Poulson ................................... Brush Wellman, Incorporated Robert R. Norman. Buttes Gas and Oil Company Gordon E. Harmston .....Executive Director, Department of Natural Resources, ex officio member William K. Dinehart ................... Director, Division of State Lands, ex officio member UGMS EDITORIAL AND ILLUSTRATIONS STAFF Martha Smith ............................................... Geologic Editor Wilma Ann Boone, Bonnie J. Barker .................................. Editorial Staff Brent R. Jones ............................................... Chief Illustrator Greg F. McLaughlin, Sandra Stewart ................................... .Illustrations T ABLE OF CONTENTS GEOLOGY AND PETROLEUM RESOURCES OF THE MAJOR OIL-IMPREGNATED SANDSTONE DEPOSITS OF UTAH Abstract ................................ 1 TABLES Introduction .............................. 1 Uinta Basin .............................. 1 Number page Asphalt Ridge and Asphalt Ridge, Northwest ......... 2 1. Field classification of oil-impregnated sandstone P. R. Spring ............................ 8 quality ............................. 2 Hill Creek . 8 2. General characteristics of major oil-impregnated Sunnyside ............................. 8 sandstone deposits of Utah ................ .4 Central Southeast .......................... 15 3. Deposit quality, Asphalt Ridge, Northeast. ........ 7 Tar Sand Triangle. 15 4. General physical characteristics of the P. R. Spring Circle Cliffs . .. ................ 19 oil-impregnated sandstone deposit ............. 7 References cited. .. 20 5. Reservoir characteristics, P. R. Spring oil-impregnated sandstone deposit ...................... 10 ILLUSTRATIONS 6. Ore quality, P. R. Spring oil-impregnated sandstone deposit ............................ 10 Figure page 7. General physical characteristics of the Hill Creek 1. Oil-impregnated sandstone deposits of Utah ........ 3 oil-impregnated sandstone deposit ............ 12 2. General geology and oil-impregnated sandstones 8. Reservoir characteristics, Hill Creek oil-impregnated of Asphalt Ridge . .5 sandstone deposit. 12 3. Asphalt Ridge. 6 9. Ore quality, Hill Creek oil-impregnated sandstone 4. P. R. Spring oil-impregnated sandstone deposit ...... 9 deposit ............................ 13 5. Hill Creek oil-impregnated sandstone deposit ...... 11 10. Reservoir rock characteristics and ore quality, 6. Sunnyside oil-impregnated sandstone outcrops ..... 14 Sunnyside oil-impregnated rock deposit ......... 13 7. Tar Sand Triangle thickness map ............. 17 11. Reservoir rock and petroleum data for the White 8. Tar Sand Triangle oil column ............... 18 Rim sandstone, Tar Sand Triangle . 16 ~9. Circle Cliffs Uplift ..................... 19 12. Selected properties of the Circle Cliffs oil-impregnated 10. Circle Cliffs Uplift cross-section .............. 20 rock deposit. 21 GEOLOGY AND PETROLEUM RESOURCES OF THE MAJOR OIL-IMPREGNATED SANDSTONE DEPOSITS OF UTAH by Jock A. CampbeZ[l and Howard R. Ritzma2 ABSTRACT Ritzma (1979) summarizes over 50 deposits, but over 96 percent of the petroleum is contained in six Near surface, oil-impregnated rock deposits in giant deposits (figure 1), described herein. The regional Utah are estimated to contain as much as 29 billion significance of some of the more important deposits has barrels of petroleum. Over fifty individual deposits have been discussed by Baars and Seager (1970), Blakey been identified, primarily through field mapping. Over (1977), and Campbell and Ritzma (1976). 96 percent of the oil in place occurs in sandstone host rocks in six giant deposits. Because there is only partial subsurface informa­ tion available for these deposits, only about half the Four of the deposits occur in the Uinta Basin of total estimated resource falls into the classification of northeastern Utah, and contain petroleum which prob­ measured and indicated resources (table 2). ably originated in the Green River Formation (Eocene). Three of these deposits, P. R. Spring, Hill Creek, and Development of these resources has been limited Sunnyside, also occur in the Green River Formation, but by economic, technical, and political factors. Although the Asphalt Ridge deposit occupies only older and advances are being made in the former two categories, it younger strata. is still not possible to lease tar sands on Federal land, which predominates on 4 of the 6 deposits discussed Two deposits occur in marine and marginal marine here. The State of Utah recognized the substance con­ strata in the dissected plateau region of southeastern tained in oil-impregnated rocks as petroleum, and as Utah. The Tar Sand Triangle is the largest deposit in the such, considers it producible under the terms of an oil state, and occurs in the White Rim Sandstone (Permian). and gas lease. Circle Cliffs is a giant, low-grade deposit in sandstone and siltstone of the middle Moenkopi Formation The oil-impregnated sandstone deposits occur in a (Triassic ). variety of stratigraphic and structural circumstances. They are separated here into two groups: the Uinta The oil-impregnated sandstone bodies of the Basin group, all of which contain petroleum which deposits are of variable number, thickness, and petrole­ probably originated in Eocene lacustrine source rocks of um content, and occur under the influence of a variety the Green River Formation, and the central-southeast of structural and topographic conditions. Tables provide group, which occur in and probably originated in marine summaries of various characteristics of the petroleum source rocks of Permian and Triassic age. and the reservoir strata. UINTA BASIN INTRODUCTION The Uinta Basin group consists of 25 deposits, 24 Descriptions of the oil-impregnated rock deposits of which contain petroleum that originated in lacustrine of Utah were first compiled by Ball Associates (1965). rocks of the Green River Formation (Eocene). This At that time, it was estimated that there were between consideration is based on knowledge of the stratigraphic 2.0 and 4.3 billion barrels of oil in place. Work done framework, and conventional petroleum occurrences in primarily under the direction of Ritzma (1979) has the basin (Fouch, 1975; Ryder and others, 1976) and on enlarged that estimate to between 22.4 and 29.2 billion the very low sulfur content of the oil-impregnated barrels of oil in place. Field investigations have consisted sandstones, (Wood and Ritzma, 1971; Ritzma 1979), a mainly of reconnaissance mapping with topographic characteristic which they share with the conventional maps and aerial photographs, using a visual method of crude oils of the basin. However, some of the deposits classification of oil-:impregnated sandstone3 quality occur in strata of Permo-Pennsylvanian, Triassic-Jurassic, (table 1). Mapping has been supplemented with labora­ and Cretaceous age, which results from the complex tory analyses of outcrop samples, and locally with drill hole data. The term oil-impregnated sandstone as used in this report is essentially synonymous with oil sand, tar sand, and bitum­ inous sandstone. The term oil is preferrable to tar inasmuch 1 Chief Petroleum Geologist, Utah Geological and Mineral as it is a more accurate description of the substance under Survey, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108 discussion. The term sandstone is preferred for use in con­ 2 Assistant Director, Utah Geological and Mineral Survey, junction with the Utah deposits, since they occur principally Salt Lake City, Utah 84108 in consolidated rocks rather than in unconsolidated sand. 2 Utah Geological and Mineral Survey, Special Studies 50 TABLE 1. FIELD CLASSIFICATION OF OIL-IMPREGNATED SANDSTONE QUALITY Approximate saturation (percent Rank Quality Visual Appearance of pore space) 5 Very Rich Pore spaces completely filled 70 and over with bitumen; rock oozes oil. 4 Rich Pore spaces completely filled 50-70 and rock glistening black. 3 Moderate Pore sp aces completely filled 30-70 and rock dull black. 2 Weak Pore spaces incompletely filled 10-30 and rock light gray_ 1 Very Weak Pore spaces not filled with 0-10 bitumen but rock stained gray or brown, commonly spotty. o Barren No visible evidence of bitumen o saturation. structural boundary between the Uinta and Wasatch Asphalt Ridge (Spieker, 1931; p. 83). No oil impregna­ Mountains, and the Uinta Basin (Campbell, 1975b; tion is known to occur in the Asphalt Ridge Sandstone Campbell and Ritzma, 1976; Ritzma, 1975). at Asphalt Ridge proper. These strata are overlain unconformably by Asphalt Ridge and Asphalt Ridge, Northwest the Duchesne River Formation (Eocene) of continental origin, consisting of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, Asphalt Ridge is perhaps the
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