--> ABSTRACT: An Evaluation of the Source Rock, Reservoir Rock, and Sequence Stratigraphy for the Brushy Canyon Formation's Hydrocarbon Accumulations of the Delaware Basin, Southeastern New Mexico, by H. A. Justman and R. Broadhead; #90915 (2000)

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JUSTMAN, HEIDI A., Dept. Earth and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM; and RON BROADHEAD, New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, Socorro, NM

ABSTRACT: An Evaluation of the Source Rock, Reservoir Rock, and Sequence Stratigraphy for the Brushy Canyon Formation's Hydrocarbon Accumulations of the Delaware Basin, Southeastern New Mexico

A study of the source rock, reservoir characteristics, and subsurface structure of the Brushy Canyon Formation was performed in order to better evaluate the potential for petroleum systems within this formation, of the Delaware Basin.

The reservoir rock for the Brushy Canyon is a very finegrained sandstone consisting mainly of quartz, and some feldspar. The sand grains are subround to subangular, and moderately to well sorted. Porosity within these reservoirs generally surpasses ten percent.

The source rock for Brushy Canyon oil accumulations is a kerogen-rich dolostone with TOC ranging from 0.54% to 1.76%. Rock-Eval pyrolysis indicates sufficient thermal maturity for these dolostones to generate hydrocarbon, with TMAX values in the range of 440° to 448° Celsius. Plots of the oxygen index versus the hydrogen index show a mostly mixed (both oilprone and gasprone) kerogen within the source rock.

The Brushy Canyon Formation is a self-sourced petroleum system. The proximity of the source rock to the reservoirs accounts for reduced loss of hydrocarbon to migration, surface seepage, and non-commercial accumulations.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90915©2000 AAPG Rocky Mountain Section, Albuquerque, New Mexico