Browsing by Subject "East Texas"

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Analysis of Natural Fractures and Borehole Ellipticity Travis Peak Formation East Texas
(1987) Laubach, Stephen E. (Stephen Ernest), 1955-; Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.; Meador, K. J.
This report summarizes petrographic studies of natural and coring-induced fractures in 7 cores from the Travis Peak Formation, a low-permeability gas sandstone in East Texas, and also presents an analysis of fracturing and wellbore elongation based on Borehole Televiewer, Formation Microscanner, and Ellipticity logs from 12 Travis Peak wells. Natural, vertical extension fractures in sandstone are open or only partly mineral-filled in the cored depth range (approximately -5,000 to -10,000 ft), and they are therefore potential gas reservoirs as well as a potentially important influence on commercial hydraulic fracture treatment. Crack-seal structure in fracture-filling quartz shows that fracturing and quartz cementation were contemporary; this result, together with evidence of timing of fracturing and the large water volumes that are inferred to have passed through the Travis Peak, suggests that natural hydraulic fracturing influenced fracture development. Healed transgranular microfractures that occur in sandstone can be used to ascertain natural fracture trends in core that lacks macrofractures, and coring-induced petal-centerline fractures can be used to infer stress orientations. Fractures trend ENE to E. In the upper Travis Peak, borehole ellipticity trends ENE, parallel to fracture trends, and in the lower Travis Peak ellipticity trends NNW, parallel to the direction of least horizontal stress.
Application of Borehole-Imaging Logs to Geologic Analysis, Cotton Valley Group and Travis Peak Formation, GRI Staged Field Experiement Wells, East Texas
(1990) Laubach, Stephen E. (Stephen Ernest), 1955-; Hamlin, H. Scott; Buehring, Robert; Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.; Monson, Eric R.
This report summarizes studies of two geophysical logging tools, the borehole televiewer and the Formation Microscanner, that were used in GRI's three Staged Field Experiment wells and in a cooperative well in East Texas. These tools can detect natural fractures and induced fractures that reflect in situ stress conditions, as well as lithologic features that can be important for geologic interpretation. Improvement in borehole televiewer and Formation Microscanner technology has been rapid in the past several years, but calibration of the logs with core is needed to ensure accurate interpretations of the logs. Our study compares borehole televiewer and Formation Microscanner logs with core from wells in low-permeability gas reservoir sandstone. Vertical fractures in Travis Peak and Cotton Valley sandstone usually are visible on borehole televiewer and Formation Microscanner logs, but some fractures were missed or are indistinct. Aspects of fracture shape can be determined, and fractures can generally be separated from borehole breakouts, but natural fractures are difficult to distinguish from some types of drilling-induced fractures on either log. Fracture orientation is readily obtained for inclined fractures from either borehole televiewer or Formation Microscanner logs, but the orientation of vertical fractures, the common fracture type in East Texas reservoirs, can be ambiguous locally on both logs. Formation Microscanner images can be used to help document and interpret depositional environment, and they provide images of sedimentary structures and thin beds.
Assesing and Forecasting, by Play, Natural Gas Ultimate Recovery Growth and Quantifying the Role of Technology Advancements in the Texas Gulf Coast Basin and East Texas
(2000) Fisher, W. L. (William Lawrence), 1932-; Kim, Eugene M.
A detailed natural gas ultimate recovery growth (URG) analysis of the Texas Gulf Coast Basin and East Texas has been undertaken. The key to such analysis was determined to be the disaggregation of the resource base to the play level. A play is defined as a conceptual geologic unit having one or more reservoirs that can be genetically related on the basis of depositional origin of the reservoir, structural or trap style, source rocks and hydrocarbon generation, migration mechanism, seals for entrapment, and type of hydrocarbon produced. Plays are the geologically homogeneous subdivision of the universe of petroleum pools within a basin. Therefore, individual plays have unique geological features that can be used as a conceptual model that incorporates geologic processes and depositional environments to explain the distribution of petroleum. Play disaggregation revealed important URG trends for the major natural gas fields in the Texas Gulf Coast Basin and East Texas. Although significant growth and future potential were observed for the major fields, important URG trends were masked by total, aggregated analysis based on a broad geological province. When disaggregated by plays, significant growth and future potential were displayed for plays that were associated with relatively recently discovered fields, deeper reservoir depths, high structural complexities due to fault compartmentalization, reservoirs designated as tight gas/low-permeability, and high initial reservoir pressures. Continued technology applications and advancements are crucial in achieving URG potential in these plays.
Deep Basin Coal (Lignite) in WilcoxGroup, Sabine Uplift, East Texas: Potential for Unconventional Coal Gas Resource Development
(2001) Kim, Eugene M.; Ruppel, Stephen C.
The Wilcox Group in the Sabine Uplift, East Texas, contains relatively large amounts of deep-basin (220- to 2,000-ft depth) coal that may in turn contain large coalbed methane resources. The objective of the proposed study is to assemble and prepare data on coal resources in the Sabine Uplift area of East Texas for inclusion in the U.S. Geological Survey National Coal Resources Data System (NCRDS). Coal occurrence and lithofacies maps created in "The Wilcox Group (Paleocene-Eocene) in the Sabine Uplift Area, Texas: Depositional Systems and Deep-Basin Lignite" (Kaiser, 1990) were digitized and converted into a Geographic Information System (GIS) format. Associated data that were derived from geophysical logs to create these maps were then compiled into a digital spreadsheet. These digital maps and data enable prediction of coal seam thickness, geometry, and continuity and, therefore, areas of potential coalbed methane resources. The distribution of the Wilcox coals is depositionally controlled, and the stratigraphic framework of the targeted horizons defines coalbed methane exploration fairways. According to available data, the highest potential for coal bed methane production and development in the Sabine Uplift, East Texas, exists in the lower Wilcox Group coal seams in Panola and Shelby Counties.
Depositional systems, lithofacies, and geochemistry of the Jurassic (Oxfordian) Smackover and Buckner Formations in Van Zandt County, Texas : a type-core section
(2019-07-08) Schemper, Peter John; Loucks, R. G.; Fu, Qilong
The Late Jurassic Smackover Formation is part of a prolific petroleum system along the northern rim of the Gulf of Mexico with a long history of exploration. Most investigations into the Smackover have taken place in sub basins east of the East Texas basin and primarily focus on upper Smackover oolitic grainstone reservoirs, but only a few studies have been completed on the lower Smackover source rocks. Because of this, there is a lack of understanding related to the conditions under which the lower Smackover was deposited. This study provides a more complete understanding of the Smackover deposits in the East Texas through investigation of a long continuous 713-ft core drilled from the Sun Oil Travis GU No. 1 well in Van Zandt County, Texas. It contains a continuous section of Smackover lithofacies from lower Smackover mudstones to upper Smackover grainstones and contains a large portion of the overlying Buckner Anhydrite. The goal of this investigation is to lithologically and chemically characterize the Smackover Formation in order to create a type section for future studies and create a refined depositional model for East Texas Smackover deposition. High-resolution geochemical data composed of x-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), total organic carbon (TOC) and Rock-Eval, x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, and isotope data was taken to fully characterize the section chemically. This geochemical dataset provides insight into controls on organic matter accumulation and destruction, diagenetic fluids, and local and global isotope signatures. With understandings of lithofacies distribution, depositional controls for organic accumulation and porosity development, and diagenesis the unconventional and conventional potential of the Smackover can be assessed.
Diagenesis and Burial History of the Lower Cretaceous Travis Peak Formation, East Texas: Controls on Permeability in a Tight Gas Sandstone
(1987) Dutton, Shirley P.
Petrographic and geochemical studies were used to determine the diagenetic and burial history of Travis Peak sandstones in East Texas and to relate the diagenesis to permeability variations within the formation. Permeability in much of the formation has been reduced to less than 0.1 md by compaction, cementation, and minor pressure solution. Travis Peak sandstone is quartzarenite and subarkose, having an average composition of Q95F4R1. The first authigenic cements to precipitate were illite, which coated detrital grains with tangentially oriented crystals, and dolomite. Next, extensive quartz cement, averaging 17% of the rock volume in well-sorted sandstone, occluded much of the primary porosity. Quartz is most abundant in the lower Travis Peak, in well-connected sandstone beds that were deposited in braided streams. Dissolution of orthoclase and albitization of plagioclase followed quartz cementation and occurred prior to mid-Cretaceous movement of the Sabine Uplift. Illite, chlorite, and ankerite precipitated after feldspar diagenesis. Oil migrated into Travis Peak reservoirs in the Late Cretaceous from Jurassic source rocks. Later deasphalting of the oil filled much of the remaining porosity in some zones near the top of the formation with reservoir bitumen.
East Texas and Western Louisiana Coastal Erosion Study
(1992) Morton, Robert A.; White, William Allen, 1939-
The following brief report summarizes the major accomplishments achieved during the first year of study of coastal erosion and wetlands loss along the southeastern Texas coast.
East Texas and Western Louisiana Coastal Erosion Study
(1996) Morton, Robert A.; White, William Allen, 1939-; Gibeaut, James
The report serves two purposes. Firstly, it presents the major project objectives and achievements by the Bureau of Economic Geology during the fifth year of the cooperative program (FY 95-96). Secondly, it summarizes the results of the entire five-year study of coastal erosion and wetlands loss along the southeastern Texas coast. The report covers activities between June 28, 1991, and August 31, 1996. Major accomplishments are reported for each work element and task presented in the 5-year work plan of the cooperative agreement. Documents summarizing the major accomplishments and containing the important datasets and scientific conclusions are included as appendices 1-11.
East Texas and Western Louisiana Coastal Erosion Study, Year 2
(1993) Morton, Robert A.; Gibeaut, James; White, William Allen, 1939-
The following report summarizes the major accomplishments achieved by the Bureau of Economic Geology during the second year of study of coastal erosion and wetlands loss along the southeastern Texas coast. The report covers activities between July 1, 1992, and June 30, 1993, and includes the activities for the eighth quarter of the project. Major accomplishments are reported for each work element and task identified in the cooperative agreement. Documents summarizing the major accomplishments and containing the important scientific conclusions are included as Addendums 1-8.
East Texas and Western Louisiana Coastal Erosion Study, Year 3
(1994) Morton, Robert A.; Gibeaut, James; White, William Allen, 1939-
The following report summarizes the major accomplishments achieved by the Bureau of Economic Geology during the third year of study (FY 93-94) of coastal erosion and wetlands loss along the southeastern Texas coast. The report covers activities between July 1, 1993, and August 31, 1994. Major accomplishments are reported for each work element and task identified in the cooperative agreement. Documents summarizing the major accomplishments and containing the important scientific conclusions are included as Addenda 1-5.
East Texas and Western Louisiana Coastal Erosion Study, Year 4
(1995) Morton, Robert A.; White, William Allen, 1939-; Gibeaut, James
The following report summarizes the major accomplishments achieved by the Bureau of Economic Geology during the fourth year study (FY 94-95) of coastal erosion and wetlands loss along the southeastern Texas coast. The report covers activities between September 1, 1994, and August 31, 1995. Major accomplishments are reported for each work element and task identified in the 5-year work plan of the cooperative agreement. Documents summarizing the major accomplishments and containing the important data sets and scientific conclusions are included as Addenda 1-12.
East Texas Mussel Survey
(2007-11-09) Karatayev, Alexander; Burlakova, Lyubov
Field surveys of freshwater mussels (family Unionidae) were conducted at 49 sites in 22 waterbodies (4 rivers, 7 reservoirs, and 11 streams) within the Red, Trinity, Neches, and Sabine drainage basins using standard qualitative and quantitative methods. Depth, dominant substrates, GPS coordinates, and water chemistry were recorded at each site. Abundant and diverse mussel beds were located in the Sulphur, Angelina, and Neches rivers. These sites can be used for future monitoring. Several waterbodies were surveyed for the first time (i.e. Cooper Reservoir, Wright Patman Reservoir, Houston County Reservoir, Striker Reservoir, and lower Sabine River tributaries). Extreme rainfall and flooding in 2007 prevented successful sampling of several sites. Mussel populations in a number of waterbodies (i.e. Sulphur River, Cooper Reservoir, Houston County Reservoir, B.A. Steinhagen Reservoir, Toledo Bend Reservoir) were severely damaged during previous droughts or drawdowns. Several sites with abundant and diverse unionid assemblages were suggested for monitoring, conservation, and recovery plans. This survey will provide data necessary for successful management and conservation of unionids in East Texas rivers and reservoirs.
Evaluating the Geology and Ground Water Hydrology of Deep Basin Lignite in the Wilcox Group of East Texas
(1984) Kaiser, W. R.
Lignite resources in Texas are currently estimated at 58 billion short tons (755 quadrillion British thermal units or Quads [Q] of energy) (Kaiser and others, 1980), constituting just over one-fourth or 26 percent of the state's energy endowment of 2,915 Q. Resources of near-surface lignite, those at depths between 20 and 200 ft (6.1 and 61 m), are about 23 billion tons (300 Q), of which some 8.6 to 11.1 billion tons are exploitable by current surface-mining methods. Near-surface reserves are adequate to meet the demand for lignite in this century. Meeting the demand in the next century and beyond will require the recovery of deep-basin lignite, occurring between depths of 200 and 2,000 ft (61 and 610 m) below the surface. Resources of deep-basin lignite at these depths and in seams greater than 5 ft (1.5 m) thick are about 35 billion tons (455 Q) or 16 percent of the state's energy endowment. These resources occur mainly in East Texas north of the Colorado River (about 70 percent) in two geologic units, primarily in the lower Eocene Wilcox Group (55 percent) and secondarily in the upper Eocene Jackson Group (15 percent). Deep-basin lignite is not economically recoverable at this time; however, large tonnages are potentially recoverable by deep-surface mining and underground, or in situ gasification. Small tonnages are now technically exploitable by in situ gasification, whereas deep mining on a routine basis remains to be demonstrated. Few details are known about deep-basin lignite in Texas. Therefore, a two-year program, funded by the Texas Energy and Natural Resources Advisory Council (TENRAC), was begun in September 1981 to collect, at the regional level, geologic, hydrologic, and chemical data about deep-basin lignite in the Wilcox Group to ultimately stimulate private exploration and exploitation of deep lignite.
Geology and Geohydrology of the East Texas Basin
(1981) Winker, C. D.; Collins, Edward W.; Davidson, Edward; Dix, Owen R.
The investigations in the East Texas Basin are part of the broader salt dome studies underway in the Gulf Coast Interior Salt Basin of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, constituting one regional element of the national Nuclear Waste Repository Program. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) aims to select one salt site for site-specific evaluation as a nuclear waste repository. This report focuses on the salt dome program in East Texas and outlines some preliminary conclusions reached on dome suitability during FY1980. The 1980 program to investigate the tectonic, geologic, and hydrogeologic stability of salt domes in the East Texas Basin was divided into four subprograms: 1. Subsurface geology. 2. Surficial geology, remote sensing, and geomorphology. 3. Hydrogeology. 4. Salt dome characteristics. Integration of the results from these four subprograms will determine the general suitability of salt domes in the East Texas Basin for further evaluation as a potential nuclear waste repository and will provide information on specific candidate domes in the East Texas Basin.
The Geology of East Texas
(University of Texas at Austin, 1918-12-10) University of Texas at Austin
The geology of East texas
(University of Texas at Austin, 1918) Dumble, E.T.
Geology of the Lower Cretaceous Travis Peak Formation, East Texas: Characterization of a Tight Gas SandStone
(1990) Dutton, Shirley P.; Laubach, Stephen E. (Stephen Ernest), 1955-; Tye, Robert S.; Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.
Since 1982, the Gas Research Institute (GRI) Tight Gas Sands Project has supported geological investigations designed to develop knowledge necessary to efficiently produce low-permeability, gas-bearing sandstones. As part of that program, the Bureau of Economic Geology has conducted research on low-permeability sandstone in the Lower Cretaceous Travis Peak (Hosston) Formation in East Texas. The first phase of the study, which lasted from 1983 until 1986, involved extensive collection of core and production data in seven cooperative wells. Information gained from the cooperative wells, combined with geologic characterization of the Travis Peak throughout the study area, led to the drilling by GRI of three Staged Field Experiment (SFE) wells between 1986 and 1988. The SFE wells were drilled and completed by GRI specifically for the purpose of research on low-permeability gas reservoirs. This report summarizes the results of the geologic studies of the Travis Peak Formation, and it focuses on the contribution of geology to evaluation and completion of tight gas sandstone wells.
Geology of the Lower Cretaceous Travis Peak Formation, East Texas: Depositional History, Diagenesis Structure and Reservoir Engineering Implications
(1990) Dutton, Shirley P.; Laubach, Stephen E. (Stephen Ernest), 1955-; Tye, Robert S.; Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.; Herrington, Karen L.
This report summarizes stratigraphic, petrographic, and structural studies of the Lower Cretaceous Travis Peak Formation, a low-permeability gas sandstone in East Texas, and presents reservoir engineering implications. Depositional systems in this region were interpreted from logs and cores and include (1) a braided- to meandering-fluvial system that forms the majority of the Travis Peak section; (2) deltaic deposits interbedded with the distal part of the fluvial system; (3) paralic deposits that overlie and interfinger with the deltaic and fluvial deposits near the top of the Travis Peak; and (4) shelf deposits present at the downdip extent of the formation. Petrographic studies indicate the sandstones are quartzarenites and subarkoses. Cementation by quartz, dolomite, ankerite, illite, chlorite, and reservoir bitumen have reduced porosity to less than 8 percent and permeability to less than 0.1 md throughout most of the formation. Structurally deeper sandstones are more intensely quartz cemented than are shallower sandstones and contain abundant, open natural fractures. Borehole breakouts and drilling-induced fractures in core can be used to predict horizontal stress directions and the direction of hydraulic fracture propagation. Hydraulic fractures propagate in directions subparallel to the east-northeast strike of the natural fractures; thus, hydraulically induced fractures may not intersect many natural fractures.
Letter to A.C. Wright from H.B. Stenzel on 1952-07-21
(1952-07-21) Stenzel, Henryk B.
Letter to Bob H. Slaughter from H.B. Stenzel on 1964-12-22
(1964-12-22) Stenzel, Henryk B.