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Field Production and Potential for Deeper Hydrocarbon Resources

 in the Main Pass Area, Louisiana State Waters
 

Bobby L. Jones, Chacko J. John, Brian J. Harder, and Reed J. Bourgeois
 

Louisiana Geological Survey – Louisiana State University,

3079 Energy, Coast & Environment Bldg., Baton Rouge, Louisiana  70803

    

ABSTRACT

 

Successful oil and gas exploration and development is largely dependent on understanding and evaluating basic geological and geophysical information brought together by field studies.  Recently much attention has been directed toward the deep oil and gas resources in the federal outer continental shelf waters of the Gulf of Mexico, while offshore state waters areas of Louisiana have received little attention.  An overlooked area is the Main Pass area where only three of 23 oil and gas fields have explored below 15,000 ft.  The first discovery occurred in Main Pass Block 69 Field on August 9, 1949.   Since then an additional 22 oil and gas fields have been discovered.  In the area a total of 1252 field wells have been permitted of which 927 were oil and gas completions, 203 were dry, 119 were permitted but not drilled, and three salt water wells.  The shallowest production was found at 1519 ft in Main Pass Block 69 Field and the deepest production was found at 16,468 ft in Main Pass Block 49 Field which was the only production below 15,000 ft.  Most of the production is from the Bigenerina 2, Cibicides carstensi, Textularia W, and Bigenerina humblei zones of the upper Middle Miocene.  Hydrocarbon production is mainly found in anticlinal closures on the downthrown side of east-west trending faults.  Alternating sands and shales are encountered down through the Bigenerina 2 and Cibicides carstensi zones.  In the deeper Textularia W and Bigenerina humblei zone shales predominate with isolated sand deposits that are productive.  Our evaluation of depositional environments in the area show potential for deeper zone production from isolated and shale encased sand bodies of unstable shelf delta or submarine fan origin.

 

Jones, B. L., C. J. John, B. J. Harder, and R. J. Bourgeois , 2009,  Field production and potential for deeper hydrocarbon resources in the Main Pass area, Louisiana state waters:  Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions,    v. 59, p. 385-396.

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AAPG Search and Discover Article #90093 © 2009 GCAGS 59th Annual Meeting, Shreveport, Louisiana