University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 2017 LATERAL HETEROGENEITY AND ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE WALL CREEK MEMBER OF THE UPPER CRETACEOUS (TURONIAN) FRONTIER FORMATION John Zupanic University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Part of the Geology Commons, Sedimentology Commons, and the Stratigraphy Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Zupanic, John, "LATERAL HETEROGENEITY AND ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE WALL CREEK MEMBER OF THE UPPER CRETACEOUS (TURONIAN) FRONTIER FORMATION" (2017). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 11033. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11033 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]. LATERAL HETEROGENEITY AND ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE WALL CREEK MEMBER OF THE UPPER CRETACEOUS (TURONIAN) FRONTIER FORMATION By JOHN PRESTON ZUPANIC Bachelor of Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 2013 Thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Geology The University of Montana Missoula, MT June 2017 Approved by: Scott Whittenburg, Dean of The Graduate School Graduate School Marc S. Hendrix, Ph.D. Committee Chair Department of Geosciences Michael H. Hofmann, Ph.D. Department of Geosciences Michael D. DeGrandpre, Ph.D. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry i © COPYRIGHT by John Preston Zupanic 2016 All Rights Reserved ii Zupanic, John, M.S., Fall 2016 Geology Lateral Heterogeneity and Architectural Analysis of the Upper Cretaceous (Turonian)Wall Creek Member of the Frontier Formation Chairperson: Marc S. Hendrix Co-Chairperson: Michael H. Hofmann Abstract Content (Single spaced, one page, two space paragraph indent, no more than 350 words.) The Upper Turonian Wall Creek Member (WCM) of the Frontier Formation is part of a series of marine sandstones that were deposited on the western flank of the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway (KWIS). The KWIS was a low accommodation shallow-marine foreland basin system that included many large deltaic complexes on its western margin. Deposition of WCM deltaic deposits was strongly influenced by fourth- order glacioeustatic cycles, oceanographic circulation patterns, and tectonics related to the active Sevier fold and thrust belt to the west. An in-depth field study of the WCM was performed on the western flank of the Powder River Basin (PRB), WY, in exposures forming the eastern flank of the Tisdale Anticline, a Laramide structure. The goal of the field study is to document the lateral and vertical heterogeneities within the WCM sandstone, its architectural elements, and its stratigraphic surfaces and use these to develop a sequence stratigraphic framework. Results of this study improve the understanding of depositional processes of the WCM and its characterization as a petroleum reservoir within ~30km of active drilling and production of the WCM in the PRB. This study describes 8 facies: 1) laminated mudstone 2) interbedded siltstone and sandstone 3) hummocky cross-stratification 4) low-angle stratified sandstone 5) thinly interbedded sandstone and siltstone 6) heterolithic cross-bedded sandstone 7) medium- grained heterolithic cross-bedded sandstone and 8) trough cross-bedded sandstone. These facies are consolidated into 4 facies associations: FA1) prodelta FA2) distal delta front FA3) middle delta front FA4) tidal bars/shoals. Facies characteristics, facies stacking patterns, and architectural surfaces/elements indicate two primary deltaic influences: 1) storm/wave dominated deltas and 2) tidally dominated deltas. Three incomplete stratigraphic sequences are observed from facies stacking patterns and stratal geometries. Sequence 1) transgressive systems tract 1 (TST1), highstand systems tract 1 (HST1), and falling stage systems tract 1 (FSST1); Sequence 2) transgressive systems tract 2 (TST2) and highstand systems tract 2 (HST2); Sequence 3) lowstand systems tract 1 (LST1). iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I want to give thanks to everyone that helped me through all of my years of school and kept me motivated. A special thank you to my mom and dad who kept coaching me on this game we call life. I want to thank the University of Montana and SM Energy for funding me and allowing me to perform this research and have this amazing opportunity. Finally, I want to give thanks to all of my friends and mentors at the University of Montana. To the IBA team (Clayton, Anna, Brianna, and Cody), We had some good times! I will never forget them, especially when they announced our name for first place and we all just looked at each other with the deer in the headlights look like, “We did what?”. Thank you Clayton for being the first one to get up and snap us out of our awe. I will remember all the times at Sunrise and teaching y’all to dance to Copperhead Road, trivia night, jamming along in my car to Sam Hunt, and all the indecisive nights at Anna’s house. Not to mention all of the other shenanigans that would probably be a thesis in length itself. Marc, thank you for all of the guidance and the fun/educational trips out to my field site in Wyoming. The differences in your teaching style compared to Michael made the time at the University unique and added a special dynamic to all the learning. Michael, thank you for pushing me through this whole thing. I know there was some rough patches for me, but you kept me going all the way to the finish line Finally, to my dearest Nathan, after everyone else left me you were still there, sure everyone else graduated and you just started and had to be there without a choice, but that’s not the point. I will miss our “Old married couple” arguments on where we were going to grab dinner and treasure the memories of Lord of the Rings conversations and our Crater Lake trip. Most of all, thank you for allowing me to bounce my crazy theories and ideas off of you before presenting them to Michael. In conclusion, thank you to everyone that put up with my horrible puns these last few years. I know it must have been a PUNishment to all and a blessing to me! iv Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………...…..1 GEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK AND BACKGROUND ……..…..……....…2 2.1 Geological Background ……………………………..………………...…..….2 2.2 Paleogeography…………..……………………………….…………...………5 2.3 Oil and Gas Development in the PRB……………………………...…………9 METHODS …………………………………………………………..…..….….10 RESULTS ……………………………………………………..……......…….....13 4.1 Facies ……………………………………………………….………...….… 13 4.2 Facies Associations……………………………………………………..……31 SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY………………………………….…..….....… 39 5.1 Sequences in the Frontier ………………………………………..…..….….. 39 5.2 Systems Tracts of the Wall Creek……………………………………...….... 40 5.3 Surfaces……………………………………………………………….…..… 55 DISCUSSION………………………………………………………..…..….…..56 6.1 Depositional Processes and Controlling Mechanisms………….………...….56 Paleogeographic Reconstructions………………………………………………..61 6.2 Modern Analog……………………………………………………..……......65 6.3 Sequence Stratigraphy: Eustasy vs. Tectonics…………………….......……..68 v IMPLICATIONS FOR RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION IN THE SUBSURFACE……………………………………………………………….…72 7.1 Transgressive Sands …………………………………………………………72 7.2 HST2 Reservoir ………………………………………..……………………73 7.3 LST1 Reservoir …………………………………………………..…………74 CONCLUSIONS…………………………………………………………...…...75 WORKS CITED ……………………………………………………….….…...79 FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 1: Stratigraphic Column……………………………..……………..……...3 Figure 2: Base Map………………………………………………….………….....5 Figure 3: Regional Paleogeography……………………....…………….…...…….6 Figure 4: Sevier Hinterlands…………………………………………………...….7 Figure 5: Type Log…………………………………………..………………...…11 Figure 6: Trace Variability …………………………………………………........12 Figure 7: Facies ……………………………………………….……….….……..15 Figure 8: Facies Picture…………………………………………………..……...16 Figure 9: Turbidites vs. Hyperpycnal Flows………………………………….….18 Figure 10: Photomicrographs………...……………….………………….………20 Figure 11: TW-2 Tracing………………………………...……………….…....…23 vi Figure 12: Architectural Plate ……………………………….……………....…..24 Figure 13: Block Diagram for Facies Associations.………………..……...….....33 Figure 14: HCS/SCS Deposition……………………………………………...…36 Figure 15: Tidal Dune Deposition…………………………………………….…38 Figure 16: Cross-Sections (Outcrop and Subsurface) …………………….…..…42 Figure 17: Gamma correlation………………………………….……………..…43 Figure 18: Sequence Stratigraphic Surfaces……………………………………..44 Figure 19: Rose Diagrams……………………………………....….…….….…..48 Figure 20: Isopach Maps……………………………………....…..………..……49 Figure 21: Storm Currents and Seaway Circulation………………..………........58 Figure 22: Tidal Bars vs. Dunes…………………….………………….....…...…60 Figure 23: Paleogeographic Reconstructions…………………………………….62 Figure 24: Modern Day Analogs…………………………………………………66 Figure 25: Highstand vs. Lowstand Shoreline Morphology…………..…..…….25 APPENDECIES…………………………………………………….…………..87 Appendix A: XRD Data…………………………………….…...…………….…87 Appendix B: Gamma Ray Data…………………………..……….……..………88 Appendix C: Measured Sections…………………………………………….….113 Appendix D: Measured Sections GPS Locations…………………...………….135 vii Appendix E: Facies Plates……………………………………………………...136 Plate 1: Facies 1 Sedimentary