Structural Restoration and Petroleum Systems Modeling of the Wyoming-Utah-Thrust Belt, U.S.A

Hans Axel Kemna¹, Monika Majewska-Bell², Keith Mahon³, and Kristijan Kornpihl^1
1IES GmbH, Aachen, Germany
²MVE Ltd., Glasgow, United Kingdom
³Anadarko, Woodlands, TX

An approximately 160 km long, 2D section of the Wyoming-Utah thrust belt and the Wind River Basin (U.S.A.) including the La Barge, Tip Top and Jonah gas fields has been modeled using advanced technologies of structural restoration and petroleum systems modeling. The model is based on publicly available data.

Due to the highly complex tectonic history of the area which is characterized by extensive thin skinned thrusting as well as basement-involved flexural movements, a detailed structural restoration was carried out using the software package 2DMove. The restoration takes lateral sediment transport, i.e., erosion and re-sedimentation, and flexural isostasy effects into account.

A petroleum systems model was created based on paleo-geometries derived from the structural restoration. Modeling of the temperature/pressure history as well as maturation and petroleum migration was carried out using the TecLink application of the PetroMod software package.

The resulting model provides detailed insight into the history of the petroleum systems present in the area, with a special focus on the La Barge and Tip Top gas fields near the eastern margin of the Wyoming-Utah thrust belt. Several petroleum systems and a source of Carbondioxide are stacked vertically in this area. Detailed migration simulations with source rock tracking revealed that the occurrence of gas and condensate can only explained with the presence of effective sealing lithologies.

The combination of structural restoration and petroleum systems modeling is a powerful tool for the analysis of petroleum systems in tectonically complex environments. An approved workflow has been established for this purpose.

AAPG Search and Discover Article #90078©2008 AAPG Annual Convention, San Antonio, Texas