TRIPP, CAROL N., Consulting Petroleum Geologist, Salt Lake City, UT

ABSTRACT: A Hydrocarbon Exploration Model for the Cretaceous Ferron Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale and the Dakota Group in the Wasatch Plateau and Castle Valley of East-Central Utah, with Emphasis on Post-1980 Data

The drilling boom of the early to mid-1980s allowed many small operators to participate in the drilling of shallow wells in the Wasatch Plateau and Castle Valley of east-central Utah. The gas producing Ferron Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale was the primary objective, with many operators opting to drill an additional 300-800 ft to also test the Dakota Group. Success was encountered within the Ferron objective in numerous wells. This flurry of drilling by these small operators has produced a wealth

of data that now allows deltaic systems within the Ferron to be delineated, along with potential hydrocarbon-producing trends. Hydrocarbon potential of the Dakota Group also has been examined in this study.

This study incorporates subsurface, surface, structural, and stratigraphic data from the Cretaceous Ferron Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale and the Dakota Group into a hydrocarbon exploration model. In addition to identifying specific areas for exploration, this model examines the effect of continental tectonism on Ferron deposition, and makes recommendations for improving drilling methodology.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90993©1993 AAPG Rocky Mountain Section Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 12-15, 1993.