The Hartselle Sandstone, Alabama's Oil Sands Resource

Abstract

The Mississippian age Hartselle Sandstone of northwestern Alabama has been estimated to contain approximately 7.5 billion barrels of bitumen, with roughly 350 million barrels within 15 meters (50 feet) of the surface. No commercial development of these oil sands has occurred as of yet. With the increased desire for North American energy independence, the Alabama Oil Sands Program (AOSP) was established to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date geological and engineering assessment of oil sands resources in Alabama, as well as a thorough evaluation of legal and regulatory issues surrounding development. The AOSP serves as a focus for oil sands activities and initiatives in the state to conduct complete geological, geochemical, geophysical, and engineering analyses. After a comprehensive review of the legacy data available at the Geological Survey of Alabama and the State Oil and Gas Board, a “fill in the gaps” approach is being used for the AOSP. Previously sampled and tested outcrops have been revisited in order to implement modern testing methods to provide updated information about the hydrocarbons and physical properties of the Hartselle Sandstone. Additional sites have been identified and are being sampled and analyzed. A ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey has been conducted in the area of interest, in order to better define the vertical structure and possible hydrocarbon saturation down to an estimated depth of 200 m within the Hartselle Sandstone. Additional analyses of newly acquired cores and subsequent chemical analyses of the rock and bitumen will help ground truth the GRP survey. With the acquisition of this new data, current reservoir models and reserve estimates can then be recalculated using up to date methodologies. Newer near-surface and in situ extraction technologies are being investigated for their applicability to small- to medium-sized deposits such as the Hartselle in Alabama. Thus, the AOSP will provide a comprehensive assessment of the potential for development of the Hartselle Oil Sands of Alabama.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90259 ©2016 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, June 19-22, 2016