Abstract

The western portion of north-central Texas experienced unique depositional processes during the Late Desmoinesian. The early Desmoinesian Fort Worth basin depocenter was moved toward the west after the Ouachita overthrust. Sediments were carried westward to the resultant Midland basin through the Knox-Baylor Trough. This asymmetrical trough (steep north) possessed two distinct depositional systems. The south or Concho platform flank possessed a wave-dominated environment with strike-oriented strand-plain-deltaic sands similar to the Upper Wilcox Sands of the Gulf Coast. This system exists in Baylor, Knox, Throckmorton, and Haskell Counties. Some of the producing areas are in the Sojourner, Herren, and Weinert fields. The deep-water environment includes low-flow-regime deposits. They are ripple-bedded, lack bioturbation textures, and are strike-oriented. A study of the composition demonstrates they are well-sorted, clean, fine-grained bodies which indicate significant rework during long-distance transport. This system extends from North Knox County southwest through Stonewall County, and produces in such areas as the Anne Tandy. Katz, Juliana, and Jud fields.