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Chapter 4 — Petroleum Assessment of the Pottsville Coal Total Chapter 4 Petroleum Assessment of the Pottsville Coal Total Petroleum System, Black Warrior Basin, Alabama and Mississippi By Joseph R. Hatch and Mark J. Pawlewicz Volume Title Page Chapter 4 of Geologic Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Black Warrior Basin Province, Alabama and Mississippi Compiled by Joseph R. Hatch and Mark J. Pawlewicz U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series DDS–69–I U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Mark D. Myers, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2007 For product and ordering information: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod Telephone: 1–888–ASK–USGS For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov Telephone:1–888–ASK–USGS Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Hatch, Joseph, R., and Pawlewicz, Mark J., 2007, Petroleum assessment of the Pottsville Coal Total Petroleum System, Black War- rior Basin, Alabama and Mississippi, in Hatch, Joseph R., and Pawlewicz, Mark J., compilers, Geologic assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Black Warrior Basin Province, Alabama and Mississippi: U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series DDS–69–I, chap. 4, 28 p. ISBN 1-411-31775-0 iii Contents Overview..........................................................................................................................................................1 Geologic Setting .............................................................................................................................................2 Stratigraphic and Sedimentological Framework .............................................................................2 Structural Framework ..........................................................................................................................5 Appalachian Folds and Thrust Faults .......................................................................................5 Pottsville Formation Fracture Systems ....................................................................................8 Hydrocarbon Source-Rock Characterization ..........................................................................................12 Organic Carbon Contents—Organic Facies ...................................................................................12 Organic Matter Thermal Maturity ....................................................................................................12 Thermal Maturity Modeling .....................................................................................................12 Produced Water Chemistry ........................................................................................................................14 Natural Gas Chemistry ................................................................................................................................15 Black Warrior Basin Assessment Unit .....................................................................................................18 Gas and Water Production ...............................................................................................................18 Historical Production ...............................................................................................................18 Drilling Practices........................................................................................................................20 Cumulative Gas and Water Production .................................................................................20 Well Production Controls ..........................................................................................................21 Assessment Results ...........................................................................................................................24 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................24 Figures 1. Map showing location of the Pottsville Coal Total Petroleum System and the Black Warrior Basin Assessment Unit ........................................................................................................................1 2. Petroleum system events chart ...........................................................................................................2 3. Generalized elevation contour map of the unconformity separating the Pennsylvanian Pottsville Formation and Upper Cretaceous strata in the southeastern part of the Black Warrior Basin ........................................................................................................................................3 4. Stratigraphy of the upper part of the Pennsylvanian Pottsville Formation ...................................4 5. Cross section showing idealized depositional cycle in the Pennsylvanian Pottsville Formation, Black Warrior Basin ………………………………………………………… 5 6. Generalized isopach map of the Ream through Gwin coal zones, Pennsylvanian Pottsville Formation ...............................................................................................................................................7 7. Generalized map showing net coal isoliths in the upper part of the Pennsylvanian Pottsville Formation in the southeastern part of Black Warrior Basin .........................................................7 8. Generalized structural contour map of the top of the Pratt coal zone ..........................................8 iv 9. Photograph of a small normal fault and associated fracturing ....................................................9 10. Photograph of jointed shale above the Gwin coal zone ................................................................9 11. Photograph of a bedding plane exposure of a cleat system in Alabama coal ........................10 12. Generalized map showing joint (A), and cleat (B) systems in the southeastern part of the Black Warrior Basin ........................................................................................................................11 13. Stacked bar histogram showing distribution of hydrogen indices for 16 shale samples and 23 coal samples from the Pennsylvanian Pottsville Formation ................................................13 14. Generalized map showing vitrinite reflectance (Ro) and rank of coals in the Mary Lee coal zone, Pennsylvanian Pottsville Formation....................................................................................13 15. Plot showing relation between burial history and thermal gas generation in the Pennsylvanian Pottsville Formation in the Shell Holiman #13-16 well in Pickens County, Alabama .............................................................................................................................................14 16. Stiff diagrams showing composition of formation water produced from the Pennsylvanian Pottsville Formation in the southeastern part of the Black Warrior Basin .............................15 17. Generalized map showing relation of freshwater plumes in the Mary Lee coal zone, Pennsylvanian Pottsville Formation, to geologic structure and Upper Cretaceous strata, along the southeast margin of the Black Warrior Basin ...........................................................16 18. Generalized structural cross section showing meteoric recharge areas and subsurface flow patterns in the upper part of the Pennsylvanian Pottsville Formation ...........................16 19. Generalized map showing distribution of gas wetness for samples of coal gas from the Pennsylvanian Pottsville Formation in the southeastern part of the Black Warrior Basin ...................................................................................................................................................17 20. Generalized map showing locations and status of coal degasification fields in the southeastern part of the Black Warrior Basin ............................................................................19 21. Histograms of coal-gas and water production (A) and new well permits and producing wells (B) in the southeastern part of the Black Warrior Basin ................................................19 22. Generalized map showing cumulative gas production from vertical wells in the southeastern part of the Black Warrior Basin ............................................................................20 23. Generalized map showing cumulative water production from vertical wells in the southeastern part of the Black Warrior Basin ............................................................................21 24. Generalized map showing alignment of exceptionally productive gas wells along a synclinal fold hinge in the Oak Grove coal degasification field in the southeastern part of the Black Warrior Basin .............................................................................................................22 25. Generalized map showing relation of gas (A) and water (B) production to extensional structure in the
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