JOHN, CHACKO J., BOBBY L. JONES, BRIAN J. HARDER, RICHARD P. McCULLOH and REED J. BOURGEOIS , Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, LA

Geologists and geophysicists have long recognized that information provided by field studies are vitally important for exploitation and exploration for hydrocarbons. In spite of this fact, in today's rapidly advancing technological environment, field studies tend to be overlooked and information about existing fields is not easily accessible in the public domain. The keys to successful oil and gas exploration and development are largely dependent on understanding and evaluating basic geological and geophysical information brought together by field studies. Though the various geological societies have in the past published very useful field study volumes much ground is still left to be covered.

The Breton Sound area consists of 56 offshore blocks located: to the east of southern St. Bernard and northern Plaquemines parishes, Louisiana. It is characterized by east-west striking down-to-the-basin growth faults separating fault blocks with subtle anticlinal closures in Miocene, Pliocene and Pleistocene strata. Presently there are 17 producing fields covering about 36 blocks, (state acreage only) in the Breton Sound area which have produced 138,100,139 barrels of oil and 761,668,695 mcf of gas (Nov. 1998). Information presented for each of these fields includes regional trends, field geology, number of wells and productive zones, deepest well, type log, cross sections, structure maps, conservation orders and production information. Space limitations prevent: displaying information gathered for all the 17 fields, and so only three field study examples are presented (Breton Sound Blocks 1, 18, and 36). Producing reservoirs range in age from Lower Pleistocene to Middle Miocene and in depth from 609 m (2000 ft.) to 5014 m (16,450 ft.). Nearly all depositional environment' elements of a deltaic complex are represented in this area.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90908©2000 GCAGS, Houston, Texas