Print this pageUsing Remote Sensing Data and Surface Lineament and Fracture Analysis for Hydrocarbon Exploration in Northeastern Arizona
GUO, GENLIANG, STEPHEN A. GEORGE, and RHONDA P. LINDSEY
A surface lineament and fracture analysis was performed for oil and gas exploration in northeastern Arizona. The investigation involves an analysis of surface lineaments mapped from Landsat images, surface fracture zones interpreted from monoclinal traces, and surface-fracture traces mapped from color-infrared aerial photographs, as well as an analysis of regional geology. The analysis of surface lineaments and monoclinal traces covered the whole northeastern quarter of Arizona, whereas that of surface-fracture traces focused on the Black Mesa basin area and the Cameron area.
An orientation analysis of surface and subsurface linear features showed that the basic structural grains of northeastern Arizona consist of three components trending northwest, north, and northeast. The structural style of northeastern Arizona is considered as that of basement-involved extensional fault blocks. The Precambrian basement rocks are divided into regular blocks bounded by northeast- and northwest-trending fault systems. It was also observed that many producing oil and gas reservoirs in Colorado and northwestern New Mexico, and almost all in the state of Arizona are positioned along and/or at the intersections of the surface major fracture zones. A subtle association appears to exist between oil shows and surface fracture zones and/or basement fault systems within northeastern Arizona. As a result, this study suggests that the areas along or adjacent to the surface fracture zones and/or basement fault systems in northeastern Arizona be considered priority locations for exploratory drilling and/or geophysical and geochemical surveys.