CHARACTERIZATION OF LOWER PERMIAN CARBONATE SUBAQUEOUS GRAVITY FLOWS IN CROCKETT COUNTY, TEXAS

Horizontal drilling in conjunction with hydraulic fracturing have exposed Upper Wolfcampian to Lower Leonardian Wolfcamp Shale in the Midland Basin as an exploration target for hydrocarbons. With the high investment costs per-well in Wolfcamp plays, detailed analysis of mudrocks must be made in order to maximize exploration success. This study utilizes core samples from six wells in Crockett County, Texas to define lithofacies, explore mudstone mineralogic variability, and calibrate well logs to core in order to determine how changes in sedimentation along the platform margin and slope are related to basin floor cyclothems in the scope of hydrocarbon production. Gamma ray, neutron density, and resistivity well logs allow the correlation of the lithologic units and the lithofacies present. Analytical methods utilized are macroscopic examination of whole core, x-ray diffraction analysis of core samples, and analysis of organic richness to characterize the most productive zones and delineate their spatial distribution throughout the study area.