Depositional Systems and Controls on Reservoir Quality

RI0278. Depositional Systems and Controls on Reservoir Quality (Determined from Core Data) in Deeply Buried Tertiary Strata in the Texas-Louisiana Gulf of Mexico, by W. A. Ambrose, R. G. Loucks, and S. P. Dutton. 80 p., 64 figs., 1 table, 2013. Print.

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About This Publication
In this report, the authors used whole-core data to provide a framework for interpreting depositional origin, reservoir quality, and mineralogical composition in deeply buried (>10,000-ft) Tertiary strata in the Texas-Louisiana Gulf of Mexico.

ABSTRACT
A study of the deeply buried (>10,000 ft [>3,050 m]) Tertiary section in the Gulf of Mexico, which makes use of whole cores from 12 wells in Louisiana and Texas, provides a framework for interpreting depositional origin and demonstrates that relative position within the sequence-stratigraphic framework and facies tract can exert powerful controls on reservoir quality, even in deeply buried successions. Some wells in the Texas-Louisiana Gulf of Mexico in deep (>19,000-ft [>5,790-m]) sandstones of deep-water origin in the lower Wilcox Group have comparable porosity and permeability values relative to those in shallower (<13,500-ft [<4,115-m]) lower Wilcox shallow-marine highstand and transgressive systems tracts, although porosity values and relative abundance of porosity types (intergranular, secondary, and microporosity) vary between these cores. Similar examples occur in the Frio Formation, where deep-water sandstones of lowstand origin in southwest Louisiana, associated with sediment bypass, have values of 20 to 30 percent porosity and more than 1 darcy (D) permeability, although they are more than 16,000 ft (>4,878 m) deep. Facies variability, mineralogical composition, and sequence-stratigraphic origin are additional factors that influence porosity and permeability. Considerable variation exists in porosity and permeability values between deltaic and shoreface sandstones, as well as between transgressive and progradational sandstones in deeply buried strata in the Gulf of Mexico. Similar variation also exists in porosity and permeability values between turbidite channel-fill, levee overbank, and debris-flow sandstones in deep-water systems in the Wilcox Group and Yegua Formation. Regions where higher reservoir quality may exist in the deep subsurface are delineated by integrating sequence stratigraphy, facies variability, mineralogy, and environmental parameters such as temperature and pressure. These data are correlated to empirical reservoir quality from wireline logs and cores to infer facies controls on reservoir quality.

Keywords: Tertiary, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf Coast, reservoir quality

CONTENTS
Abstract
Introduction
Lowstand Systems Tract

            Transgressive Systems Tract

            Highstand Systems Tract

Scope, Objectives, and Data

Lower Wilcox Group

            Shell No. 2 Wolfe (Wave-Modified, Fluvial-Dominated Delta)

                         Regional Paleogeographic Setting and Description

                         Interpretation

                         Reservoir Quality

             Amoco No. 1 Longbell (Wave-Modified, Fluvial-Dominated Delta)

                        Regional Paleogeographic Setting and Description

                        Interpretation and Reservoir Quality

             ARCO No. 1 Crews (Slope Channel, Levee, and Debris-Flow Deposits)

                         Regional Paleogeographic Setting

                         Description: Lower Interval

                         Interpretation: Lower Interval

                         Reservoir Quality: Lower Interval

                         Description: Middle Interval

                         Interpretation: Middle Interval

                         Reservoir Quality: Middle Interval

                         Description: Upper Interval

                         Interpretation and Reservoir Quality: Upper Interval

 Upper Wilcox Group

            Harcor No. 2 Bellelo (Wave-Dominated Delta)

                         Regional Paleogeographic Setting and Description

                         Interpretation and Reservoir Quality

             Sun No. 1 Crown Zellerbach (Shoreface)

                         Regional Paleogeographic Setting and Description

                         Interpretation and Reservoir Quality

                         Yegua Formation

             ARCO No. 1 Crews (Outer Slope to Basin Floor)

                         Description

                         Interpretation and Reservoir Quality

             Ladd Petroleum No. 1 Chang Trustee (Basin-Floor Fan)

                        Regional Paleogeographic Setting and Description
                        Interpretation and Reservoir Quality

 Frio Formation

             ARCO No. D-1 Miami (Lower Slope and Basin-Floor Fan)

                         Regional Paleogeographic Setting and Description

                         Interpretation and Reservoir Quality

             ARCO No. X-1 Miami (Slope)

                         Regional Paleogeographic Setting and Description

                         Interpretation and Reservoir Quality       

             ARCO No. 1 Hamilton (Fluvial-Dominated Delta)

                         Regional Paleogeographic Setting and Description        

                         Interpretation and Reservoir Quality       

 Lower Miocene 

             Pan American No. 1 SL 4210 (Slope)     

                         Regional Paleogeographic Setting and Description        

                         Interpretation and Reservoir Quality       

             Amoco No. 1 SL 11736 (Lower Slope to Basin-Floor Fan)           

                         Regional Paleogeographic Setting and Description        

                         Interpretation and Reservoir Quality       

 Upper Miocene

             Sun No. 17 Lake Pelto (Deltaic and Tidally Influenced Interdistributary Bay)

                         Regional Paleogeographic Setting and Description

                         Reservoir Quality and Interpretation

                         Sequence Tracts and Facies Controls on Reservoir Quality

 Lower Wilcox Group

 Upper Wilcox Group

 Yegua and Frio Formations

 Miocene

 Areal Facies Distribution and Reservoir Quality

            Wilcox Group
            Yegua Formation
             Frio Formation
Lower Miocene

             Upper Miocene

Conclusions

Acknowledgments

References

 Figures

 1. Location of cored wells in this report

2. General depositional setting of cored wells in this report

3. Chronostratigraphic chart of major Tertiary stratigraphic units in the Gulf of Mexico

4. Lower Wilcox paleogeography of Gulf Coast region and regional setting of Shell No. 2 Wolfe, Amoco No. 1 Longbell, and ARCO No. 1 Crews wells

5. Log response, description, and reservoir-quality data for the Shell No. 2 Wolfe core in lower Wilcox Group

6. Core photographs from Shell No. 2 Wolfe core

7. Quartz-feldspar-rock fragments cross-plots for lower Wilcox cores

8. Photomicrograph showing moderate overall porosity in transgressive deposits in Shell No. 2 Wolfe core

9. Description, log response, and porosity and permeability data for Amoco No. 1 Longbell core in lower Wilcox Group

10. Photographs of highstand proximal-delta-front deposits in Amoco No. 1 Longbell core in lower Wilcox Group
11. Photographs from transgressive deposits in Amoco No. 1 Longbell core in lower Wilcox Group

12. Photomicrograph of highstand proximal-delta-front deposits in Amoco No. 1 Longbell core

13. Log response, core description, and porosity and permeability data in lower part of ARCO No. 1 Crews well in lower Wilcox Group

14. Photographs of lowstand deep-water facies in ARCO No. 1 Crews core in lower Wilcox Group

15. Log response, core description, and porosity and permeability data in middle part of ARCO No. 1 Crews well in lower Wilcox Group

16. Core description and porosity and permeability data in upper part of ARCO No. 1 Crews well

in lower Wilcox Group17. Regional paleogeographic setting of upper Wilcox Group and location of

Harcor No. 2 Bellelo and Sun No. 1 Zellerbach wells

18. Log response, oil-producing zones, core description, and porosity and permeability data for Harcor No. 2 Bellelo well

19. Photographs of Harcor No. 2 Bellelo core in upper Wilcox Group

20. Photomicrograph of upper-shoreface deposits in Harcor No. 2 Bellelo core, displaying abundant intergranular porosity and secondary porosity

21. Quartz-feldspar-rock fragments cross-plots for upper Wilcox cores in this study

22. Log response, core description, and porosity-permeability data for Sun No. 1 Zellerbach well

23. Photographs of the lower siltstone-dominated, shallow-marine highstand section in Sun No. 1 Zellerbach core in upper Wilcox Group

24. Photographs of lowstand, upper-shoreface deposits in Sun No. 1 Zellerbach core in upper Wilcox Group

25. Log and core section demonstrating continuity of lowstand shoreface systems in Upper Cretaceous Cardium Formation in Alberta

26. Photomicrograph of lowstand, upper-shoreface deposits in Sun No. 1 Zellerbach core

displaying abundant intergranular porosity

27. Regional paleogeographic setting of Yegua Formation and location of ARCO No. 1 Crews and

Ladd Petroleum No. 1 Chang Trustee wells

28. Core description and porosity and permeability data for ARCO No. 1 Crews well in Yegua Formation

29. Photographs from lowstand slope deposits in ARCO No. 1 Crews core in Yegua Formation

30. Photomicrograph of channel-fill turbidite deposits in Yegua Formation

31. Quartz-feldspar-rock fragments cross-plots for Yegua cores

32. Core description and limited porosity and permeability data for Ladd Petroleum No. 1 Chang Trustee well

33. Core photographs from Yegua Formation in Ladd Petroleum No. 1 Chang Trustee well

34. Photomicrograph of amalgamated channel-fill turbidite sandstone in Yegua Formation

35. Location of three cored wells in Frio Formation

36. Seismic transect from 2-D data in southwest Louisiana

37. Log response, core description, and porosity-permeability data for ARCO No. D-1 Miami well

38. Photographs of ARCO No. D-1 Miami core in Frio Formation

39. Photomicrograph of high porosity in channel-fill turbidite facies

40. Quartz-feldspar-rock fragments cross-plots for Frio cores

41. Log response, core description, and porosity data for ARCO No. X-1 Miami well

42. Photographs of the ARCO No. X-1 Miami core in the Frio Formation

43. Photomicrograph of low-porosity highstand channel-fill turbidite facies with abundant quartz cement

44. Log response and core description of ARCO No. 1 Hamilton well

45. Photographs of ARCO No. 1 Hamilton core in Frio Formation

46. Photomicrograph of channel-mouth-bar sandstone in Frio Formation

47. Location of Pan American No. 1 SL 4210 and Amoco No. 1 SL 11736 wells

48. Log response and core description of Pan American No. 1 SL 4210 well

49. Photographs of lower Miocene Pan American No. 1 SL 4210 core

50. Photomicrograph of low-porosity upper-slope-channel facies with abundant quartz cement

51. Quartz-feldspar-rock fragments cross-plots for lower Miocene cores

52. Log response, core description, and porosity data for Amoco No. 1 SL 11736 well

53. Photographs of lower Miocene Amoco No. 1 SL 11736 core

54. Photomicrograph of low-porosity quartz-cemented facies in debrite facies at top of channel-fill section

55. Location of Sun No. 17 Lake Pelto well displayed on map of upper Miocene paleogeography

56. Log response and core description of Sun No. 17 Lake Pelto well

57. Photographs of Sun No. 17 Lake Pelto core

58. Photomicrograph of excellent porosity at top of transgressive facies

59. Quartz-feldspar-rock fragments cross-plot for upper Miocene core in Sun No. 17 Lake Pelto well

60. A modern analog for tidally influenced microtidal embayment deposits and detailed map of Barataria Pass

61. Average values and ranges for reservoir-quality data in lower Wilcox Shell No. 2 Wolfe, Amoco No. 1 Longbell, and ARCO No. 1 Crews wells

62. Average values and ranges for reservoir-quality data in upper Wilcox Harcor No. 2 Bellelo and Sun No. 1 Zellerbach wells

63. Average values and ranges for reservoir-quality data in ARCO No. 1 Crews and Ladd No. 1 Chang wells in Yegua Formation

64. Average values and ranges for reservoir-quality data in ARCO No. D-1 Miami and ARCO No. X-1 Miami wells in Frio Formation

Table

1. Summary of porosity and permeability data from cores




Citation
Ambrose, W. A.,  Loucks, R. G., and Dutton, S. P., 2013, Depositional Systems and Controls on Reservoir Quality (Determined from Core Data) in Deeply Buried Tertiary Strata in the Texas-Louisiana Gulf of Mexico: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, Report of Investigations No. 278, 80 p.