Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S. in Engineering Science

Department

Geology and Geological Engineering

First Advisor

Greg Easson

Second Advisor

Brian Platt

Third Advisor

Louis G. Zachos

Relational Format

dissertation/thesis

Abstract

This research evaluated the depositional settings of the upper Smackover formation in southwestern Clarke County (scc), Mississippi and compared its facies to those of the Brooklyn and little cedar creek fields (bf/lcc) in Conecuh and Escambia Counties, Alabama. The Smackover formation has been a prolific oil producing formation in the Gulf of Mexico since its discovery in Union County, Arkansas in 1937. The discovery of the lcc in 1994 and the bf in 2007 has generated additional interest in the Smackover. The bf/ lcc occur near the updip limit of the upper Jurassic (Oxfordian) Smackover formation. These fields produce from oolitic/ oolmoldic stratigraphically trapped reservoirs in the upper Smackover formation. In scc, the Smackover extends farther updip than in the bf/lcc. Scc also has several small oil fields that have produced from the Smackover formation since 1976. This research used resistivity well logs and core analyses of scc fields and selected four fields with the most oolites and therefore, the highest potential for similarity to production in the bf/lcc. The resistivity logs and core analyses of these four fields were used to construct structure contour maps and cross-sections for each field, illustrating the Smackover facies in the region. Higher resolution resistivity logs and core analyses from the bf/lcc were also used to construct cross sections of that area. Lithofacies and logfacies were defined for the research and used to compare the bf/lcc and scc. Interpretation of the cross sections and maps shothat the bf/lcc and scc have similar depositional settings and also similar lithofacies/depositional sequence. The difference between the study areas are: a lack of mudstones lithofacies in the bf/lcc; differences in thickness of the upper Smackover and; differences in logfacies. The bf/lcc and scc have substantial similarities in their depositional environment and sequence with the east nancy field in scc showing the most similarities to the bf/lcc.

Concentration/Emphasis

Emphasis: Geological Engineering

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.