Abstract

Geologists and geophysicists have long recognized that information provided by field studies are vitally important for exploitation and exploration for hydrocarbons. In spite of this fact, in today's rapidly advancing technological environment, field studies tend to be overlooked and information about existing fields is not easily accessible in the public domain. The keys to successful oil and gas exploration and development are largely dependent on understanding and evaluating basic geological and geophysical information brought together by field studies. The aim of this paper is to consolidate and make easily accessible the publicly available information, on fields in the Breton Sound area in a format somewhat analogous to that of the Typical Oil & Gas Fields series volumes published by the regional geological societies.

The Breton Sound area consists of 56 offshore blocks located to the east of southern St. Bernard and northern Plaquemines parishes, Louisiana. It is characterized by east-west striking down-to-the basin growth faults separating fault blocks with subtle anticlinal closures in Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene strata. Presently there are 17 producing fields covering about 36 blocks (state acreage only) in the Breton Sound area that have produced 128,009,350 barrels of oil and 679,185,389 mcf of gas (1953-1998). Producing reservoirs range in age from Early Pleistocene to Middle Miocene and in depth from 2000 ft (609 m) to 16,450 ft (5014 m). Nearly all depositional environment elements of a deltaic complex are represented in this area.