ABSTRACT

An atlas series about the offshore northern Gulf of Mexico will group gas and oil reservoirs into subregional plays and will display reservoir data on a computerized geographical information system. The atlas series will provide critically compiled reservoir engineering data to help the private sector explore and develop hydrocarbons and to help the public sector analyze the hydrocarbon endowment in this basin. In this report, we cover aspects of the play-analysis procedure and provide specific examples of lower Miocene plays from the upper Texas coast and Federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Play analysis emphasizes using broad classes of structural style, depositional style and environments, and defining attributes to group reservoirs into plays.

To date, we have identified 4 Oligocene and 25 Miocene plays in Texas State offshore waters and 115 plays in the Federal OCS. Texas State offshore plays are gas prone (cumulative production 3.7 Tcf) and are preferentially trapped in rollover anticlines. Miocene plays include submarine-fan Lenticulina sandstones; progradational Discorbis b., Siphonina d., Marginulina a., and Lenticulina sandstones; transgressive sandstones associated with a barrier-bar system in the Matagorda Area; and transgressive Amphistegina B sandstones. Particularly productive gas-prone plays are progradational Siphonina d. deltas in the High Island Area and progradational Marginulina a. shelf and deltaic sandstones in the Matagorda Island and Brazos Areas.