Abstract: Lithofacies Analysis and Uranium Favorability of Oakville and Goliad Formations of South Texas Coastal Plain

Larry Brodgon

Net sandstone isolith and sandstone/shale ratio maps indicate that the Oakville and Goliad Formations of the South Texas coastal plain consist of extensive fluvial sandstones. In large areas, fluvial sandstones are multistoried features that form very thick sandstone sequences oriented perpendicular to the coastline. Sandstone trends oriented parallel with depositional strike indicate strand plain-barrier bar deposits near the present coastline.

Both the Oakville and Goliad Formations have commercial uranium deposits. Uranium ore in the Oakville lies along the margins of major fluvial channels. Uranium in the Goliad Formation is present in an unusual deposit above Palangana salt dome and in sands near Lake Corpus Christi. Areas of uranium favorability are delineated in these formations on the basis of (1) proximity to major fluvial or stand plain-barrier bar systems, (2) sandstone/shale ratios between 1:1 and 4:1, (3) significant numbers of sandstones between 20 and 50 ft (6 and 15 m) thick, and (4) faulting near or within the area. Eleven areas in the Oakville Formation are considered favorable for uranium mineralization and 13 such areas are found in the Goliad Formation.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90967©1977 GCAGS and GC Section SEPM 27th Annual Meeting, Austin, Texas