CHARACTERIZATION AND IMPLICATIONS OF CARBONATE MASS TRANSPORT DEPOSITS WITHIN THE UPPER LEONARDIAN FIRST BONE SPRING CARBONATE INTERVAL: DELAWARE BASIN, SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO
Encompassing ~4,350 km2, the study area is located in the northeastern portion of the Delaware Basin, and includes part of eastern Eddy county and the southern half of Lea county in southeast New Mexico. Analysis of core, thin-sections, and XRD data allowed for the identification and classification of variable compositions of MTDs in the FBSC. Identified MTD compositions were correlated with log responses to establish typical log signatures, enabling the identification these deposits with limited data sets. Further, establishing characteristic log signatures for these deposits facilitated the creation of a model for predicting the distribution of MTDs and their variable compositions based on relative net/gross values established across the study area. Initial results indicate this modeling technique to be an effective method for interpretation of vertical and spatial changes in lithology, and enables the visualization of MTD compositional variation across the study area and throughout the FBSC. Some MTD compositions appear to be more geologically hazardous. While these have a greater propensity to occur where MTDs are more prevalent, a trend for the distribution of such deposits hasn’t yet emerged.