Stones Field: Deep and Distant

Abstract

Stones is a Shell development in the ultra-deepwater Gulf of Mexico. It is a 3-way faulted closure in the Walker Ridge Protraction Area of the Paleogene area of the Wilcox trend. Stones is situated at the edge of the Sigsbee Escarpment providing just over 2000 ft of sea floor relief across the field. The Stones production wells sit in excess of 9500 ft water depth. The Stones production unit consists of nine outer continental shelf (OCS) blocks. The deepwater Wilcox trend is a play that has emerged in the last fifteen years and is characterized by large gross pay intervals in excess of 1200 ft with moderate net to gross ratios and permeabilities in the 10–50 md range. This is in part due to the deep and distant nature of the turbidite deposits that comprise the reservoir. This presentation will provide an overview of the Stones Field, its geologic characterization as well as a brief description of the development.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90219 © 2015 GCAGS, Houston, Texas, September 20-22, 2015