University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences Earth and Environmental Sciences 2015 SUBSURFACE GEOLOGICAL ANALYSES OF THE BEREA PETROLEUM SYSTEM IN EASTERN KENTUCKY Julie Floyd University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Floyd, Julie, "SUBSURFACE GEOLOGICAL ANALYSES OF THE BEREA PETROLEUM SYSTEM IN EASTERN KENTUCKY" (2015). Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences. 33. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/ees_etds/33 This Master's Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Earth and Environmental Sciences at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of my work. I understand that I am free to register the copyright to my work. REVIEW, APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE The document mentioned above has been reviewed and accepted by the student’s advisor, on behalf of the advisory committee, and by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), on behalf of the program; we verify that this is the final, approved version of the student’s thesis including all changes required by the advisory committee. The undersigned agree to abide by the statements above. Julie Floyd, Student Dr. Stephen F. Greb, Major Professor Dr. Edward W. Woolery, Director of Graduate Studies SUBSURFACE GEOLOGICAL ANALYSES OF THE BEREA PETROLEUM SYSTEM IN EASTERN KENTUCKY THESIS A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky By Julie Floyd Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Stephen F. Greb, Associate Professor of Geology Lexington, Kentucky 2015 Copyright © Julie Floyd 2015 ABSTRACT OF THESIS SUBSURFACE GEOLOGICAL ANALYSES OF THE BEREA PETROLEUM SYSTEM IN EASTERN KENTUCKY The Berea Sandstone is a Late Devonian, tight oil and gas reservoir that intertongues with the Bedford Shale in eastern Kentucky. In order to evaluate the Bedford-Berea interval in the subsurface, 555 well logs from the Kentucky Geological Survey’s oil and gas database were used to construct structure maps, isopach maps, and cross sections of the interval and its possible hydrocarbon source rocks. Gamma-ray logs were compared to known cores in order to separate Bedford from Berea lithologies. Maps and cross sections were compared to known basement structures to evaluate possible structural influences on the interval. The Bedford-Berea interval is thickest along a north-south elongate trend which extends from Lewis to Pike Counties and cuts across basement structures. Along this trend, the interval is thickest and the percentage of Berea lithologies is greatest on known basement highs. The interval is thinnest and dominated by Bedford shales above structural lows and west of the main trend. Several wells are also reported in which the Bedford-Berea thickens on the down-thrown side of major faults. Also, in northeastern Kentucky, where the Berea is thickest, possible submarine channel facies are identified which cut into the underlying Cleveland Shale near the Waverly Arch. KEYWORDS: Bedford-Berea, Petroleum System, Structural Influences Ohio Shale, oil and gas, eastern Kentucky ________________________________Julie Floyd ________________________________12/09/2015 SUBSURFACE GEOLOGICAL ANALYSES OF THE BEREA PETROLEUM SYSTEM IN EASTERN KENTUCKY By Julie Floyd ________________________________Stephen F. Greb, Ph.D. Director of Thesis ________________________________Edward W. Woolery, Ph.D. Director of Graduate Studies ________________________________12/09/2015 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The work for this thesis was made possible by the educational support, guided support and overall moral support of many individuals. First, I would like to thank my Thesis Chair, Steve Greb, Ph.D., who provided invaluable knowledge and expertise for this study, and to my remaining Thesis Committee, Ed Woolery, Ph.D., and Rick Bowersox, Ph.D for their expertise and support in seeing this project through to completion. In addition, thanks to Dave Harris, John Hickman, Brandon Nuttall,Tom Sparks, and Terry Hounsell of the Kentucky Geological Survey for their technical support in helping me navigate software programs and teaching me the finer points of log interpretation, and to Patrick Gooding and Ryan Pinkston for their support at the KGS Core Facility. A special thank you to Mike Ellis for his technical assistance keeping my computer and software up and running, and to Katie Ellis, Mandy Long, and Gwen Phillips for their friendship and moral support. Thanks also to the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and my professors who have guided and supported me throughout this thesis process, and especially for financial support from my teaching assistantship, and from the Ferm and Brown-McFarlan funds. Finally my gratitude to my family who have given me love, patience, and moral support. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments ................................................................................................ iii List of Tables ........................................................................................................ vi List of Figures ...................................................................................................... vii Chapter One: Introduction .................................................................................... 1 Study Location ........................................................................................... 3 Stratigraphy ............................................................................................... 3 Upper Olentangy Shale ................................................................... 4 Ohio Shale ...................................................................................... 5 Huron Member, Ohio Shale ............................................................ 6 Three Lick Bed, Ohio Shale ............................................................ 7 Cleveland Member, Ohio Shale ...................................................... 8 Bedford Shale ................................................................................. 8 Berea Sandstone .......................................................................... 11 Sunbury Shale............................................................................... 14 Major Geologic Structures of Eastern Kentucky ...................................... 16 Appalachian Basin ........................................................................ 17 Rome Trough ................................................................................ 17 Kentucky River Fault System ........................................................ 19 Irvine-Paint Creek Fault System.................................................... 19 Rockcastle River and Warfield Fault Systems .............................. 20 Floyd County Channel Faults ........................................................ 20 Paint Creek Uplift .......................................................................... 21 D’Invilliers Structure ...................................................................... 21 Waverly Arch ................................................................................. 22 Vanceburg-Ironton Fault ............................................................... 23 Bedford-Berea Depositional Model .......................................................... 23 Project Objectives .................................................................................... 25 Chapter Two: Data ............................................................................................. 27 Chapter Three: Methods ..................................................................................... 31 Geologic Logs and Stratigraphic Tops ..................................................... 31 Olentangy Shale ............................................................................ 31 Huron Member, Ohio Shale .......................................................... 33 Three Lick Bed, Ohio Shale .......................................................... 34 Cleveland Member, Ohio Shale .................................................... 35 Bedford-Berea Interval .................................................................