Print this pageThe Utah Geological Survey Mineral Lease Research Program: A Status Report
Morgan, Craig1, Thomas C. Chidsey1, Roger L. Bon1 (1) Utah Geological Survey, Salt Lake City, UT
The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) began a new program in
2004, titled “
Characterization
of Utah’s Hydrocarbon Reservoirs and Potential
New Reserves.” This program uses mineral lease funds to support geologic
research to help improve the characterization of Utah’s hydrocarbon reservoirs.
The program’s goals are to (1) improve the state’s assessment of its hydrocarbon
reserves and future hydrocarbon resource potential, (2) identify reservoir
features, untapped compartments, or recovery techniques to encourage more
effective exploitation of proven reserves, and (3) improve the understanding of
the depositional history, trapping mechanism, source rocks, and
generation/migration of hydrocarbon plays to encourage exploration for new or
untapped hydrocarbon reserves.
During fiscal year 2005 (July 1, 2004, through June 30,
2005), the UGS funded research projects on (1) regional Mesaverde correlations,
(2) characterizing Mesaverde and Mancos reservoirs using FMI logs, (3)
characterizing the Entrada erg-margin gas play, and (4) defining and
characterizing shale-gas reservoirs. In fiscal year 2006, the UGS is funding
research projects on (1) diagenesis and fluid flow history of the Navajo
Sandstone, (2) sequence stratigraphy and geochemical resource characterization
of the lower Mancos Shale, and (3) reservoir characterization
of the Cedar
Mountain and Dakota Formations. UGS activities under this program include
scanning all of Utah’s well logs, characterizing Wingate Sandstone outcrop, and
characterizing outcrop and core from the Navajo Sandstone.
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90055©2006 AAPG Rocky Mountain Section Meeting, Billings, Montana