Chapter 2 Petroleum Systems and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas in the Raton Basin–Sierra Grande Uplift Province, Colorado and New Mexico By Debra K. Higley Volume Title Page Chapter 2 of Petroleum Systems and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas in the Raton Basin– Sierra Grande Uplift Province, Colorado and New Mexico—USGS Province 41 Compiled by Debra K. Higley U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series DDS–69–N 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: Higley, D.K., 2007, Petroleum systems and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas in the Raton Basin–Sierra Grande Uplift Prov- ince, Colorado and New Mexico, in Higley, D.K., compiler, Petroleum systems and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas in the Raton Basin–Sierra Grande Uplift Province, Colorado and New Mexico—USGS Province 41: U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series DDS–69–N, ch. 2, 124 p. Graphics by the author. ISBN 1-411-31759-9 iii Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1 Geologic Setting of the Raton Basin–Sierra Grande Uplift Province ...................................................3 Petroleum Production History .....................................................................................................................8 Comparison of USGS 2005 Total Petroleum System Assessment to the 1995 USGS National Oil and Gas Play–Based Assessment .....................................................................................................9 Total Petroleum System Elements of the Raton Basin-Sierra Grande Uplift Province ....................10 Paleozoic Potential for Oil and Gas .................................................................................................10 Helium and Carbon Dioxide Production ..........................................................................................12 Overview......................................................................................................................................12 Source Rocks and Gas Migration ...........................................................................................12 Jurassic–Cretaceous Composite Total Petroleum System ...................................................................12 Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous Reservoirs Assessment Unit (50410202) ......................................12 Overview .....................................................................................................................................12 Source Rocks..............................................................................................................................13 Burial History ..............................................................................................................................13 Reservoirs ...................................................................................................................................21 Seal Rock.....................................................................................................................................22 Fractured Reservoirs Assessment Unit (50410201) .......................................................................22 Overview .....................................................................................................................................22 Source Rocks..............................................................................................................................23 Reservoirs ...................................................................................................................................23 Seal Rock.....................................................................................................................................24 Upper Cretaceous–Tertiary Coalbed Gas Total Petroleum System ....................................................24 Vermejo Coalbed Gas Assessment Unit (50410182) and Raton Coalbed Gas Assessment Unit (50410181) .........................................................................................................24 Overview .....................................................................................................................................24 Source Rocks..............................................................................................................................28 Burial History ..............................................................................................................................28 Reservoirs ...................................................................................................................................28 Seal Rock.....................................................................................................................................31 Upper Cretaceous-Tertiary Sandstones Assessment Unit (50410101) .......................................31 Overview .....................................................................................................................................31 Source Rocks..............................................................................................................................31 Reservoirs ...................................................................................................................................31 Seal Rock.....................................................................................................................................32 Summary........................................................................................................................................................32 Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................................33 iv References Cited ……………………………………………………………………………… 33 Appendix 1. Assessment Data Input, Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous Reservoirs Assessment Unit (50410202) ……………………………………………………………………………… 39 Appendix 2. Monte Carlo Assessment Output—Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous Reservoirs Assessment Unit (50410202) ………………………………………………………………… 51 Appendix 3. Assessment Data Input, Fractured Reservoirs Assessment Unit (50410201) …… 59 Appendix 4. Monte Carlo Assessment Output—Fractured Reservoirs Assessment Unit (50410201) …………………………………………………………………………………… 71 Appendix 5. Assessment Data Input, Raton Coalbed Gas Assessment Unit (50410181) ……… 79 Appendix 6. Assessment Data Input, Vermejo Coalbed Gas Assessment Unit (50410182) …… 92 Appendix 7. Assessment Data Input, Upper Cretaceous–Tertiary Sandstones Assessment Unit (50410101) ……………………………………………………………………………………105 Appendix 8. Monte Carlo Assessment Output—Upper Cretaceous–Tertiary Sandstones Assessment Unit (50410101) …………………………………………………………………117 Figures 1. Map of Raton Basin–Sierra Grande Uplift Province of northeastern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado …………………………………………………………… 2 2. Map of Raton Basin–Sierra Grande Uplift Province and locations of oil, natural gas, carbon dioxide, and helium fields ………………………………………………… 4 3. Generalized stratigraphic column for the Raton Basin, Colorado and New Mexico … 5 4. Generalized geologic map of the Raton Basin and Las Vegas subbasin, Colorado and New Mexico ……………………………………………………………………… 6 5. Photograph looking south at West Spanish Peak …………………………………… 6 6. Cross-sections of two structural interpretations of west - to - east Laramide wrench fault movement along the northwest flank of the Raton Basin …………………… 7 7. Graph of cumulative number of drilled wells versus completion date starting in 1904 8 8. Map showing play names and boundaries, and estimated mean undiscovered resources from the 1995 assessment of the Raton Basin–Sierra Grande Uplift Province …………………………………………………………………………… 11 9. Events chart for the Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous Reservoirs Assessment Unit (50410202) of the Jurassic–Cretaceous Composite Total Petroleum System (504102) …………………………………………………………………………… 13 10. Map showing vitrinite reflectance contours and interpreted coal rank at the base of the Vermejo Formation, Raton Basin, Colorado and New Mexico ………………… 15 11–14. Graphs showing: 11. Burial history of the Homer Smith no. 1 well ………………………………… 17 12. Transformation history of the Homer Smith no. 1 well ………………………… 18 13. Burial history of the Goemmer Land no. 1 well ………………………………… 19 14. Burial history of the St. Louis and Rocky Mountain no. 7 well ………………… 20 v 15. Events chart for the Fractured Reservoirs Assessment Unit (50410201) of the