Abstract

The Moxa Arch has been an important geologic structure for hydrocarbon exploration since the mid-1940s in the Green River Basin. It is also recognized by the US Department of Energy as one of two carbon sequestration sites within Wyoming. The early Jurassic Nugget formation within the Moxa Arch is a possible reservoir for carbon sequestration, however past drilling may have compromised it as such. The Nugget formation is an eolian sandstone that was deposited as part of the early Jurassic sand sea that covered Arizona, Utah, and southwestern Wyoming. Seismic attribute analysis shows the presence of northwest-southeast trending linear geologic features believed to be eolian dunes and inter-dunal deposits. Previous works, using outcrop study, on the Nugget formation have measured a northeast-southwest general paleo-wind direction during the time of deposition, supporting the seismic attribute analysis. The Petrophysical analysis of three surrounding wells also shows that the eolian sands have high porosity resulting in low impedance, while the inter-dunal deposits, composed of halite and anhydrite, are impermeable barriers and have high impedance. Analysis of co-rendered coherence and curvature clearly displays the extent and nature of the eolian dunes within the 3D volume.