Print this pageApplying 3-D Seismic to Underexplored Areas in the Uinta Basin
Marc T. Eckels1, David Suek2, Viola
Rawn-Schatzinger3, and Virginia Weyland4
1 Wind River Resources, Corp, Roosevelt, UT
2 Black Coral, LLC, Denver, CO
3 CDO Technologies/U.S. DOE, Tulsa, OK
4 U.S. Dept. of Energy, Tulsa, OK
Utah's Uinta Basin has long been a prolific hydrocarbon basin. However, deep formations, rugged topography, and remote areas, such as the 1.2 million acre Uintah and Ouray Reservation, remain underexplored. In 2000 the Ute Tribe joined with Wind River Resources under a U. S. Department of Energy cost-share grant designed to encourage energy development on Tribal lands.
A 27 sq. mile 3-D seismic survey on North Hill Creek delineated the structure and stratigraphy of the complex Hill Creek anticline on the north edge of the Uncompahgre Uplift. Interpretation of the seismic data indicated potential hydrocarbon traps in ten formations: oil and gas in the Tertiary Wasatch; gas in the Cretaceous Mesaverde Group, Dakota and Cedar Mountain; gas in the Jurassic Morrison, Curtis, Entrada and Kayenta; and gas in the Jurassic/Triassic Wingate (depth 12,250 ft). Thick eolian sands of the Entrada and Wingate underlie a large area in the Uinta Basin. Test wells exceeded expectations, resulting in the first commercial production of natural gas from the Wingate, and the first commercial production of natural gas from the Entrada in the Uinta Basin.
Fifteen wells were drilled and commercial production established in each (several have become top gas producers in Utah). No dry holes is a significant achievement in view of the fact that these were wildcat wells. The North Hill Creek project demonstrates the need to reassess overlooked areas and deep Mesozoic formations. Based on the results five additional seismic surveys have been permitted nearby totaling more than 150 sq. miles.
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90039©2005 AAPG Calgary, Alberta, June 16-19, 2005