A Stratigraphic Model of HTD (Hydrothermal Dolomite) Occurrences in the Trenton and Black River Formations, Napoleon Field, Jackson County, MI

Bill A. Van Sickel
West Bay Exploration Company, Traverse City, MI, [email protected]

The Napoleon Field, discovered in 2008 by West Bay Exploration Co., marks the resurgence of Trenton and Black River exploration in southern Michigan. After establishing fluid contacts from vertical wells, West Bay Exploration Co. began a horizontal drilling program. Data from the vertical wells revealed consistencies of dolomite development within particular stratigraphic sections of the Trenton and Black River. A model of dolomite occurrences was constructed to aid in the planning of these wells by identifying and defining lateral targets which may prove to maximize recoveries. This stratigraphic model suggests that dolomitization is strongly facies controlled and that the majority of reservoir storage is in intercrystalline porous facies rather than in fractures and vugs.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90154©2012 AAPG Eastern Section Meeting, Cleveland, Ohio, 22-26 September 2012