Characterizing transitional flow deposits in the proximal Brushy Canyon Formation, Texas

Abstract

Transitional flow deposits are identified, characterized, and placed in a stratigraphic context in the proximal Brushy Canyon Formation, Guadalupe Mountains, Texas. Transitional flows are sand-laden, mud-rich sediment gravity flows that deposit matrix-rich sandstones that are laterally equivalent to matrix-poor sandstones in deepwater lobe environments. Understanding spatial variability in deepwater facies and developing correct process models based on outcrop studies facilitates accurate predictive drilling and exploration in deepwater hydrocarbon reservoirs. In this study, two well-known outcrops of the Brushy Canyon Formation are investigated with high-resolution data sets of detailed stratigraphic sections, grain size analysis, and thin sections. Results of the study reveal that transitional flow deposits have grain size trends and lateral bed thickness trends that distinguish them from the deposits of other sediment gravity flows.