Quantifying Connectivity between Deepwater Slope Channel Sandstones and Stratigraphically Adjacent Thin-bedded Strata: Implications for Hydrocarbon Production and Timing of Depositional Events in Deepwater Strata

Jonathan Funk
University of Oklahoma ConocoPhillips School of Geology and Geophysics Norman, Oklahoma
[email protected]

Deep-water channel fill and associated thin-bedded strata have been observed in various outcrops, and a spectrum of possibilities have been proposed as to their connectivity, from fully connected and deposited contemporaneously, to unconnected and deposited at different stages of sea level cyclicity. Surprisingly, little quantitative work has been done to characterize their connectivity with this objective in mind. According to some studies, there are classic examples of continuities and discontinuities between these depositional facies. Some of these examples can be found domestically (Texas, Arkansas, Wyoming and California) while others are found in international (Ainsa Basin, Spain and New Zealand) locations. Several of these exposures have been selected to allow one to document the connectivity of these deepwater facies. Fieldwork for the project, which constitutes a M.S. Thesis under the direction of Dr. Roger Slatt, will consist of outcrop description to evaluate and quantify the facies’ interfaces and identification of common attributes associated with the spectrum of connectivity. The results will help serve as a statistical parameter to account for in reservoir modeling programs for the petroleum industry and allow geoscientists to more accurately assess the production potential from these reservoir facies. Also, this research will aim to resolve issues related to the timing of deposition of channel-fill and adjacent thin-beds in deepwater settings.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90094 © 2009 AAPG Foundation Grants in Aid