Subsurface Woodford black shale, West Texas and southeast New Mexico

The geographic distribution, lithology, thickness, and paleontology of the subsurface Woodford in the Permian basin are described and illustrated. On the basis of conodonts and spores, the Woodford is assigned to the Upper Devonian and correlated with the Ready Pay member of the Percha shale in New Mexico, Woodford and Chattanooga of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas, and tentatively correlated with the Upper Devonian parts of the Caballos novaculite and Arkansas novaculite of Texas and Arkansas. The lithology and paleontology suggest a stagnant marine environment such as might be found in a partly enclosed arm of the sea. The postulated limits of this sea are outlined.