The Utah Geological Survey Mineral Lease Research Program: A Status Report

Morgan, Craig¹, Thomas C. Chidsey¹, Roger L. Bon¹ (1) Utah Geological Survey, Salt Lake City, UT

The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) began a new program in 2004, titled “Characterization of Utah’s Hydrocarbon Reservoirs and Potential New Reserves.” This program uses mineral lease funds to support geologic research to help improve the characterization of Utah’s hydrocarbon reservoirs. The program’s goals are to (1) improve the state’s assessment of its hydrocarbon reserves and future hydrocarbon resource potential, (2) identify reservoir features, untapped compartments, or recovery techniques to encourage more effective exploitation of proven reserves, and (3) improve the understanding of the depositional history, trapping mechanism, source rocks, and generation/migration of hydrocarbon plays to encourage exploration for new or untapped hydrocarbon reserves.

During fiscal year 2005 (July 1, 2004, through June 30, 2005), the UGS funded research projects on (1) regional Mesaverde correlations, (2) characterizing Mesaverde and Mancos reservoirs using FMI logs, (3) characterizing the Entrada erg-margin gas play, and (4) defining and characterizing shale-gas reservoirs. In fiscal year 2006, the UGS is funding research projects on (1) diagenesis and fluid flow history of the Navajo Sandstone, (2) sequence stratigraphy and geochemical resource characterization of the lower Mancos Shale, and (3) reservoir characterization of the Cedar Mountain and Dakota Formations. UGS activities under this program include scanning all of Utah’s well logs, characterizing Wingate Sandstone outcrop, and characterizing outcrop and core from the Navajo Sandstone.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90055©2006 AAPG Rocky Mountain Section Meeting, Billings, Montana