Relationship Between Structural Development, Carbonate Reservoir Development, and Basement Faulting in Southern Scott and Northwestern Finney Counties, Kansas

Robert J. Dietterich, William E. Full

Hydrocarbon production from carbonate reservoirs in the Hugoton embayment, southwest Kansas, is mainly from structurally positive features with well-developed porosity and permeability. In the study area, these reservoirs tend to be associated with oolite development on shallow shelflike areas and accumulations of oolites along relatively rapid changes in paleorelief. However, not all positive structures of similar depositional environments displayed productive reservoir characteristics. In an attempt to understand reservoir development and the timing of the apparent tectonic events in this area, structural and magnetic lineation data (defined by airborne magnetic data) were correlated.

The magnetic data were processed to maximize magnetic resolution in a way that available information was not smoothed nor additional noise added. These data were used primarily to delineate faults and basement-rock-type changes. Correlation of these features with known reservoirs was used to define important trends for hydrocarbon production, and aided in dating these fault movements.

The Damme, Shallow Water, and Hugoton North fields are associated with block-faulted structures along linear trends. These major trends are defined by both structural and magnetic data represented by strong northwest-southeast slope changes that coincide with the edges of the Damme and Hugoton North fields. An intersecting tectonic zone is associated with the Shallow Water field, as evidenced by northeast-southwest-trending magnetic and structural highs. Several of these faults have been verified by seismic data. Porosity and permeability development appears to be dependent on fracturing associated with these faults that appear to have been active during Early Pennsylvanian. The Nunn field is an exception to the general model, in that this field has developed over a known basement hig , yet is reflected in the magnetic data as a low, suggesting basement-rock-type changes or reversals along the fault systems that delineate this field.

Based on the observations made in this study, new prospects in areas of poor well control can be developed.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91039©1987 AAPG Mid-Continent Section Meeting, Tulsa, Oklahoma, September 27-29, 1987.