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Depositional Systems in the Paluxy Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Northeast Texas- Oil,Gas, and Groundwater Resources by Charles A

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Geological Circular 77-8 Depositional Systems in the Paluxy Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Northeast Texas- Oil,Gas, and Groundwater Resources BY Charles A. Caughey BUREAU OF ECONOMIC GEOLOGY THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN AUSTIN, TEXAS 78712 W.L. FISHER, DIRECTOR 1977 Second Printing, 1985 GEOLOGICAL CIRCULAR 77-8 Depositional Systems in thePaluxy Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Northeast Texas- Oil,Gas, and Groundwater Resources BY Charles A. Caughey BUREAU OF ECONOMIC GEOLOGY THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN AUSTIN, TEXAS 78712 W.L. FISHER, DIRECTOR 1977 SecondPrinting, 1985 Contents Abstract 1 Dispersal patterns 28 Introduction 1 Structural influence 28 Structural framework 3 Resources 28 Stratigraphicrelationships 4 Groundwater 29 Sedimentary facies 5 Outcrop 29 Depositions!systems 8 Subsurface 29 Fluvial system 8 South area 30 Channel-fill and floodbasin facies 9 Meanderbelt facies 11 Central area 31 Fluvial model 12 North area 34 Delta system 13 Conclusions 35 Coastal barrier facies 14 Oil and gas 35 Proximal subfacies 14 Minor producingareas 38 Distal subfacies 16 South Bosque field 38 Lagoon facies 17 Updip trend 38 Deltamodel 19 Major producingareas 41 Classification 19 Fault zone trend 41 Holocene analog 19 Downdipproduction 42 Strandplain system 22 Proximal trend 42 Strandplain facies 22 Distal trend 43 Strandplainmodel 26 Summary 45 Sediment dispersal 27 References 47 Source areas 27 Appendix .. 50 Figures 1. Location map 2 6. Depositional systemsand facies,Paluxy 2. Major structural features of northeast Formationand equivalent lithostrati- Texas 3 graphic units,northeast Texas 7 3. Distribution of Paluxy Formation and 7. Representativeelectric logpatternand related stratigraphic units,surface and shale content of channel sequencesin the subsurface,northeast Texas 4 channel-fill and floodbasin facies,Paluxy fluvial system 9 4. Stratigraphic relationships among the 8. Cross section A-C, Cooke to Bowie County, Twin Rose, Antlers, Mountains,Glen strandplain and fluvial depositsin the Paluxy, Walnut, and Goodland Forma- upperpart of the Antlers Formation. ... 10 tions innortheast Texas 5 9. Cross section C-C',Bowie to Rusk 5. Sandstone isolithmapfor the Paluxy and County,fluvial and deltaic deposits of upper part of the Antlers Formations in the Paluxy and upper part of the Antlers northeast Texas 6 Formations 10 10. Crosssection D-D',Red River to Cherokee 19. Somerville County locality 1,low-angle County,fluvial and deltaic deposits of cross-bedding sets instrandplain deposits the Paluxy and upper part of the Antlers of the PaluxyFormation 25 Formations 11 20. Bosque County locality 4, Paluxy strand- 11. Crosssection E-E',Lamar to Henderson plain deposits of massive sandstone beds County, fluvial anddeltaic deposits of the dipping approximately 20° S 60° E, Paluxy andupper part of the Antlers truncated and overlain by horizontal oyster Formations 12 biomicrite beds of the 12. Cross section F-F',Fannin to Henderson Walnut Formation 25 County,fluvial and deltaic deposits of the 21. Coryell County locality 1,sandstone with Paluxy andupper part of the Antlers small,anastomosing burrows,in strand- Formations 13 plain deposits of the 13. Representativeelectric logpatternand PaluxyFormation 25 lithologic log,proximal coastal barrier 22. Erath County locality 1, limonitic facies,Paluxy delta system 15 sandstone with small-scale,trough cross- 14. Crosssection B-B',Dallas to Upshur stratification,instrandplain deposits County,strandplain and deltaic deposits of of the Paluxy Formation 26 the Paluxy Formation 16 23. Depositionalmodel,Paluxy Formation. 27 15. Representativeelectric logpattern,lagoon- 24. Paluxy resources innortheast Texas 30 embayment facies,Paluxy delta system. 18 25. Cumulative oil production from the 16. Principal depositional environments of the Paluxy Formation innortheast Texas, Holocene Rhone Delta, France. A. North- 1935 to1974 41 south cross section showingprincipal 26. Diagrammatic north-south cross section, facies. B. Sand isolith and surface RedRiver to Cherokee Counties,deposi- facies distribution map 21 tional systems andcomponent facies 17. Crosssection H-H',Johnson to Navarro in the Paluxy Formation and equivalent County,strandplain deposits of the Paluxy lithostratigraphic units 46 Formation 23 27. Diagrammatic west-east cross section, 18. Crosssection G-F',Cooke to Henderson Johnson to Harrison Counties,deposi- County,strandplain and deltaic deposits of tional systems and component faciesin the the Paluxy and upper part of the Antlers Paluxy Formation and equivalent Formations 24 lithostratigraphic units 47 Tables 1. Comparison of sedimentological charac- 3. Production data for Paluxy oil and gas teristics for high-destructive delta fields innortheast Texas 36 systems and the Paluxy delta system 4. Influence of sedimentary facies on of northeast Texas 20 petroleum accumulation in the Paluxy 2. Selected analyses of groundwater from Formation,northeast Texas 39 the Paluxy and Antlers Formations in northeast Texas 32 DepositionalSystemsinthe Paluxy Formation (LowerCretaceous),Northeast Texas- Oil,Gas,and Groundwater Resources by Charles A.Caughey Abstract The Paluxy Formation is a stratigraphic unit system. Two principal delta lobes are recognizable; which is composed of sandstone and shale and these are centered in Hunt and in Wood Counties. extends across the northern part of the East Texas The fluvial system consists of a broad, sandy embayment. Paluxy deposits were derived from meanderbelt facies which thins northward into sedimentary rocks to the north, and they accu- discrete channel complexes separated by flood- mulated in shoreface and coastal plain environ- basin deposits. The strandplain systemblankets the ments associated with an irregular southward western embayment margin with coalescent beach regression of the shoreline. Preserved in the sedi- ridge and associated shoreface and coastal lake mentary mass are three major depositional deposits. systems: a centrally located delta system, a fluvial system in the north, and a strandplain system in Strandplain sands provide small to moderate the west. quantities of groundwater that are generally suit- able for uses other than irrigation. Fluvial system The delta system is wave dominated, com- deposits furnish local areas with water for irriga- posed largely of marine-influenced sediments tion and for domestic and municipal supply.Major aligned along depositional strike. Sand isolith oil and gas accumulations occur in deltaic coastal maxima, associated with stacked coastal barrier barrier and fluvial meanderbelt facies. deposits, outline the cuspate shape of the delta Introduction The Lower Cretaceous Paluxy Formation is a distinct lithic break between carbonates of the relatively thin and continuous stratigraphic unit underlying Glen Rose and overlying Goodland composed of sandstone and shale which occurs Formations. Paluxy aquifers furnish water for throughout the northern part of the East Texas domestic, public supply, farm, and industrial uses embayment. It commonly ranges from 200 to 400 inareas along and adjacent to the outcrop belt,and feet (61 to 122m) in thickness and forms a significant oil and gas accumulations occur farther Continental Oil Company, 1105 General Mouton, Lafayette, La. 70505 2 Figure 1.Locationmap downdip to the south and east. The objectives of Iacknowledge the guidance of W.L.Fisher, this report are (1) to describe regional aspects of Bureau of Economic Geology, and A.J. Scott and Paluxy sedimentation innortheast Texas and (2) to L.J. Turk, Department of Geological Sciences. relate this depositional framework to the nature L.F. Brown and J. H. McGowen, Bureau of and distribution of associated groundwater and Economic Geology, and C. V.Proctor, Continental petroleumresources. Oil Company, discussed outcrop features and directed to The study is based on a grid of 356 electric me some of the Paluxy exposures. logs distributed across 62 counties in northeast Brown also reviewed the manuscript and suggested Texas (fig. 1). Electric log interpretations are improvements. J.N. Russell provided access to the supplementedby lithic descriptions of 91 outcrop well log library of the Texas Water Development localities and cuttings and core from 16 boreholes. Board, and M. L. Morrow supplied borehole The investigation was conducted as a master's cuttings for examination from the Bureau of thesis at the Department of Geological Sciences, Economic Geology well sample and core library. The University of Texas at Austin Continental Oil Company providedcores from two (Caughey,1973). exploratory boreholes. 3 Structural framework southern margin of the East Texas embayment is not well defined, although at least a partial The study area is located near the northern restriction existed. The embaymentmay have been margin of the coastal plain, where a wedge of closed to the south at times, then at other times post-Paleozoic strata expands gulfward from a thin open to the Gulf (Murray, 1961,p.124). section lapping over and discordant with the The structural trend for the Paluxy wasset by beveled edge of the arcuate Ouachita front. The a regional gulfward tilting of the area started Paluxy was depositedin the broadly subsidingEast during deposition of the upper part of the under- Texas embayment, an inlet in the Gulf basin lying Glen Rose (Forgotson, 1956, p.92). Source localized by a flexure of the Ouachita foldbelt.The areas to the north were rejuvenated concurrently eastern flank of the embayment extended over the with downwarping
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