The Occurrence and Exploration for Reefs in the Devonian Dundee Formation

G. A. Luebking
Savannah Exploration, Inc., Littleton, Colorado

The ontogeny of a petroleum basin is based upon multiple cycles of creative geologic thought culminating in the exploration of the geologic concept (i.e., the wildcat well). The exploration is then followed by intense periods of exploitation of the newly found resources. The Michigan Basin has exhibited at least seven Exploration/ Exploitation cycles and they are:
Shallow Petroleum (Lambton County, Ontario)
Ordovician Carbonates (Ohio and Indiana)
Central Basin Mississippian and Devonian Structural Play (Michigan)
Ordovician Carbonates (Michigan)
Silurian Niagaran Reefs (Michigan and Ontario)
Ordovician Clastics (Michigan)
Devonian Antrim Shale (Northern Michigan)

The Michigan Basin is poised for its eighth cycle of exploration activity and a petroleum renaissance. This eighth cycle is the exploration of the Central Basin Province, not for structures as has been done in the past, but for shallow Mississippian and Devonian stratigraphic targets. This paper will focus on reef development within the Reed City Member of the Devonian Dundee Formation.

The reef facies has produced from at least two fields in the Michigan Basin. It appears that reef development of up to 53 vertical feet can be documented and it is hypothesized that reefal growth could very well exceed 100 feet in thickness.

As explorationists, we must always remember that creative geologic thought and concepts will find significant hydrocarbon resources in mature petroleum provinces.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90900©2001 AAPG Eastern Section Meeting, Kalamazoo, Michigan