ABSTRACT

The Lower Cretaceous trend extends from south Arkansas through north Louisiana, Mississippi and into southwestern Alabama. To date, oil and/or gas production has been established in 142 fields (43 in Arkansas, 69 in Louisiana and 30 in Mississippi) within the shaded area on Figure 1.

All of the fields are within the salt basin and salt movement is believed responsible for many of the producing structures. In most instances, the structures increase in complexity with depth. Figure 2 is a simplified stratigraphic section. Major unconformities occur both above and below the Lower Cretaceous.

One of the most striking unconformities is that caused by uplift after Lower Cretaceous and prior to the deposition of Upper Cretaceous. Figure 3 shows the distribution of rocks below the pre-Upper Cretaceous surface.

Regional structural maps delineate the configuration on top of Lower Cretaceous (Figure 4) and base of Ferry Lake anhydrite. Structural maps and cross-sections are included on the following pools:

Arkansas--Fouke, Smackover, Spirit Lake and Wesson.

North Louisiana--Ada, Haynesville, East Haynesville, Logansport and Sugar Creek.

Mississippi--Bolton, Magee, Martinville, Raleigh and Soso.

Alamaba--Citronelle.

Figure 1. Regional map, showing limit of Gulf Coast embayment.

Figure 2. Permian, Jurassic, and Lower Cretaceous stratigraphic section in part of the eastern Gulf Coast province.

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Figure 3. Pre-Upper Cretaceous subcrop map.

Figure 4. Structure map, top Lower Cretaceous.

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FIGURE 1. NE-SW cross section, Raleigh field, Smith County, Mississippi.

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