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The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

AAPG Bulletin

Abstract


Volume: 32 (1948)

Issue: 1. (January)

First Page: 52

Last Page: 67

Title: Elk Basin, Anticline, Park County, Wyoming, and Carbon County, Montana

Author(s): W. S. McCabe (2)

Abstract:

The Elk Basin anticline is in the north end of the Big Horn Basin on the Wyoming-Montana line and is approximately 25 miles east of the Beartooth Mountains and the same distance west of the Pryor Mountains. It is a northwest-southeast-trending asymmetrical anticline approximately 8 miles long and 4 miles wide with approximately 5,000 feet of closure.

The crest of the structure is a topographic basin and the oldest formation exposed on the crest of the structure is the Niobrara shale of the Colorado group of Upper Cretaceous age. A complete section from the Fort Union Paleocene through Lance, Lennep, Bearpaw, Judith River, Claggett, Eagle, and Telegraph Creek formations of the Montana group of Upper Cretaceous age to the Niobrara shale of the Upper Colorado group is exposed on the flanks of the structure.

The crest of the structure is cut by numerous normal transverse and several normal longitudinal faults. The south end of the structure is cut by a northeast-southwest-trending thrust fault with a throw of approximately 3,100 feet.

The Elk Basin field was discovered in 1915 by a well completed in the First Frontier sand (Upper Cretaceous) which produced 50 barrels of oil per day. In 1922 gas was discovered in the Dakota sandstone (Lower Cretaceous). Tensleep (Pennsylvanian) production was discovered in 1942 and 129 wells have been drilled and completed as producers in the Tensleep formation. In 1946 the discovery well in the Madison formation (Mississippian) was completed, flowing approximately 200 barrels of oil per day.

The Elk Basin field is a unitized operation with the Stanolind Oil and Gas Company as unit operator of the Embar-Tensleep unit.

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