3D Seismic Mapping of Deep Basement Features in Osage County, OK

Kevin Liner and Christopher Liner

3D seismic data in Osage County, Oklahoma is interpreted for basement features that influence overlying sedimentary layers. The 3D survey is on the Chautauqua platform about fifty miles North West of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Stratigraphy of the work area spans Pennsylvanian to Precambrian formations, with basement depth averaging around 4000 ft. Our goal is to track probable faults and fractures through the granite basement and demonstrate association with shallow structures as an aid in understanding the structural evolution of the area. Osage county has a long history of petroleum production from Penn. and Miss. reservoirs, is near the mineralized lead-zinc mine district of NE Oklahoma, and has been the target of recent deep drilling to test helium potential. We interpret the seismic data using open source software, OpendTect. Our initial attempt to interpret fractures involved picking in time slices, but that method resulted in fault surfaces that are irregular and discontinuous. Marking events in vertical section results in a clear, continuous fault surface. This workflow will be applied in further deep event mapping. Our work may result in a better understanding of basement rocks of Osage county and aid future exploration for unconventional Mississippian petroleum targets and mineral resources. 

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90176©AAPG Mid-Continent Meeting, Wichita, Kansas, October 12-15, 2013