--> Mineralogy and Diagenetic History of the Upper Cretaceous Woodbine Sandstone in the Giant East Texas Field, Robert G. Loucks, Robert M. Reed, and William A. Ambrose, #90093 (2009)
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Mineralogy and Diagenetic History of the Upper Cretaceous

Woodbine Sandstone in the Giant East Texas Field
 

Previous HitRobertNext Hit G. Loucks, Previous HitRobertTop M. Reed, and William A. Ambrose
 

Bureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences,

The University of Texas at Austin, University Station, Box X, Austin, Texas  78713-8924

 

ABSTRACT

 

The East Texas Field is the second largest oil field discovered in the United States and it has the highest recovery efficiency (78%) of any giant oil field in the world.  Part of the reason for this high recovery efficiency is an excellent preserved intergranular pore network in the Woodbine Sandstone resulting from a stable mineralogy and a favorable diagenetic history.  Lithologically the sandstones are quartzarenites with lesser sublitharenites where chert and mud clasts are present.  In the highstand fluvial/deltaic systems the sandstones are very fine to fine grained, whereas the lowstand incised valley system contains additional granule to pebble conglomerates.  Both systems contain mudstones and clay-rich sandstones.  The diagenesis of the sandstones is relatively simple as the most common cement is quartz overgrowths.  Other cements are relatively uncommon and include siderite crystals and chlorite.  Intergranular pores are the predominant pore type and this leads to a well connected pore network promoting excellent permeability.  Some secondary pores exist where feldspars and volcanic rock fragments have been dissolved and many of the chert grains contain micropores.  Reservoir quality of the matrix is generally high (mean porosity of matrix-free sandstones is 26%, and mean permeability is ~2 darcies).

 

Loucks, R. G., R. M. Reed, and W. A. Ambrose, 2009, Mineralogy and diagenetic history of the Upper Cretaceous Woodbine Sandstone in the giant East Texas Field:  Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions, v. 59, p. 485.

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AAPG Search and Discover Article #90093 © 2009 GCAGS 59th Annual Meeting, Shreveport, Louisiana