About This Item
- Full text of this item is not available.
- Abstract PDFAbstract PDF(no subscription required)
Share This Item
The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database
Houston Geological Society Bulletin
Abstract
Abstract: Exploration and Development of a
Carbonate Reservoir Gas Giant:
Whitney Canyon-Carter Creek Field,
Western Wyoming Thrust Belt
By
Located in the Fossil Basin area of the Wyoming thrust belt, giant Whitney Canyon-Carter Creek field has in place reserves of approximately 4.5 TCFG, 125 MMBO (condensate) and 24 MM long tons sulfur. It is the largest gas field in the U.S. Rocky Mountains.
Discovery of Whitney Canyon-Carter Creek field began
by identifying a large, potentially productive area within the
Fossil Basin. Initial concepts were based on regional
structural
cross
sections
from surface geology and sparse
well control, aeromagnetic data, geochemical and palynological
work, and a regional 100% seismic line. Individual
prospects were identified from CDP stacked seismic data
and
structural
models developed from other thrust belts.
Hydrocarbons are trapped in large, reverse faulted anticlinal closures that formed completely within the Absaroka thrust plate during Laramide deformation. These structures are ramp anticlines that developed when the Absaroka plate was thrust eastward over ramps in the underlying fault plane.
Production is sour natural gas and condensate mainly from Paleozoic reservoirs. The most significant are dolomitized carbonate reservoirs of the Mississippian Mission Canyon and Lodgepole Formations and the Ordovician Big Horn Dolomite. The Pennsylvanian Weber Sandstone and the Triassic Thaynes Formation have minor production. Source rocks are subthrust Cretaceous shales which were placed in the oil generation window after thrusting and subsidence.
The economically most important reservoir is the
Mission Canyon Formation with 79% of the total gas in
place. Intercrystalline and moldic porosity was created by
dolomitization and subsequent partial solution of mud-supported
sediments during early diagenesis. Structural
deformation fractured the reservoir, but also created a
diagenetic environment which allowed calcite, anhydrite
and dolomite cements to sporadically plug all porosity
types.
At the time of discovery, the field was thought to be
simple and producible through conventional completion
methods, but as development proceeded, it was realized
that the reservoirs and structure were more complicated.
Diagenetic and structural
complications may control
reservoir quality, drainage areas, fracture density, and
hydrocarbon migration. These complications need to be
understood to efficiently produce gas reserves from the
Whitney Canyon-Carter Creek field.
End_of_Record - Last_Page 15---------------