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Oil Classification and Exploration Opportunity in the Hugoton Embayment, Western Kansas, and Las Animas Arch, Eastern Colorado*

By

Troy Beserra1
with acknowledgements to Ray Sorenson1, Harry Dembicki1, Warren Winters1, Ahmed Chaouche1, Kevin Stacy1, and Dan Jarvie2

 

Search and Discovery Article #10146 (2008)

Posted May 22, 2008

 

*Adapted from presentation at Kansas Geological Society, Kansas Geological Society, February 3, 2006 and presentation by Troy Beserra1, Ray Sorenson1, Harry Dembicki1, Warren Winters1, Ahmed Chaouche1, Kevin Stacy1, and Dan Jarvie2 at 2005 Mid-Continent Section AAPG, Oklahoma City, OK, September 11-14, 2005.

 

1 Anadarko Petroleum Corporation ([email protected])

2 Humble Geochemical Services

 

Abstract

Hydrocarbons in the Hugoton Embayment have been considered the result of long distance migration from the deep Anadarko basin. Based on biomarker interpretation from 52 oils and incorporation of data from over 500 source rock samples, this study presents an oil family classification which improves our understanding of hydrocarbon migration pathways into the Hugoton Embayment. We investigated gas chromatography data from over 600 oil samples from published and proprietary databases to compare to our conclusions, and, although each individual study provided valuable clues about oil classification, we found that the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry data provided a clearer understanding of the oil types in the Hugoton Embayment.

Four oil families identified are from Pennsylvanian and Mississippian reservoirs. Direct oil-source rock correlation identifies the Devonian Woodford shale as one of the primary hydrocarbon source rocks. Woodford-sourced oil (Family A) exists in reservoirs throughout the Upper Mississippian and Pennsylvanian section. Family B is primarily found in Morrowan-aged reservoirs and is suspected to be derived from the Pennsylvanian Morrow Formation. Family C is confined to reservoirs in the Middle and Upper Pennsylvanian section. Family D is directly correlated to Ordovician Viola Shale, but is relatively rare in the study area.

Our studies suggest that hydrocarbon migration into the Hugoton Embayment was from multiple sources and was focused along various, but somewhat predictable, lateral and vertical paths. Results from our study improve our understanding about the present-day distribution of oil and gas fields and set up new exploration ideas in this mature hydrocarbon province.

 

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Selected Figures

Late Morrowan paleogeography (after Rascoe and Adler, 1983).

Latest Mississippian paleogeography (after Rascoe and Adler,1983).

Distribution of Mississippian and Pennsylvanian oil and gas production—only oil production on the left and only gas on the right. The former is focused and extends to the far north end of the study area, whereas the gas production trend is more diffuse, with a more restricted northern limit.

Anadarko Basin cross-section, with oil and gas distribution, showing that gas migration occurred later and has not progressed as far to the north as the oil.

Normalized hopanes, indicating four distinct families of oil and one mixed family.

C19 tricyclic vs. C24 tetracyclic plot also indicates four oil families and one mixed family.

Oil classification sample distribution.

Generalized hydrocarbon migration pathways, on basement structure map (after Rascoe and Adler, 1983).

Oil classification and interpreted hydrocarbon migration pathways—one pathway focused up the Late Morrowan valley complex and the other up the Chesterian valley complex.

 

Conclusions

  • Four distinct families.
  • Vertical mixing.
  • Migration pathways controlled by major valley complexes and faulting.
  • Strong evidence for long distance migration since Woodford and potentially Morrow sourced oils are recognized in eastern Colorado – 100’s of miles away from mature sources.
  • Applicable to other basins – including mature basins.
  • GC/MS is relatively cheap compared to the knowledge you gain about oil source, migration pathways, etc.

 

Exploration Recommendations

  • Recognize Chester and Morrow Valley Systems as primary H-C migration routes and reservoir traps.
  • Keep in mind the relationship between vertical and lateral migration routes.
  • Strong correlation between eastern Colorado oils and Hugoton oils suggests exploration potential in relatively underexplored area between the two.

 

References

Blakely, R., 2005, Northern Arizona University website, http://jan.ucc.nau.edu?%7Ercb7/RCB.html, accessed 2005.

Dutton, S.P., and C.M. Garrett, Jr., 1989, PN-13, Pennsylvanian fan-delta sandstone, Anadarko basin, in E.C. Kosters, D.G. Bebout, S.J. Seni, C.M. Garrett, Jr., L.F. Brown, Jr., H.S. Hamlin, S.P. Dutton, S.C. Ruppel, R.J. Finley and N.Tyler, eds., Atlas of major Texas gas reservoirs: Gas Research Institute, p. 146-147.

Johnson, K.S., 1989, Geologic evolution of the Anadarko basin, in K. S. Johnson, ed., Anadarko basin symposium: Oklahoma Geological Survey Circular 90, p. 312.

Pippin, L., 1970, Panhandle-Hugoton field, Texas-Oklahoma-Kansas: The first fifty years, in M. T. Halbouty, ed., Geology of giant petroleum fields: AAPG Memoir 14, p. 204-222.

Rascoe, R. Jr. and Adler, F.J., 1983, Permo-Carboniferous hydrocarbon accumulations, Mid-Continent, U.S.A.: AAPG Bulletin, v. 67, p. 979-1001.

Sorenson, R.P., 2005, A dynamic model for the Permian Panhandle and Hugoton fields, western Anadarko Basin: AAPG Bulletin, v. 89, p. 921-938.

 

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