GSA Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA - 2018

Paper No. 152-7
Presentation Time: 9:40 AM

TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF PETROLEUM SOURCE ROCKS IN THE ILLINOIS BASIN (Invited Presentation)


SWEZEY, Christopher S., U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 926A, Reston, VA 20192, HATCH, Joseph R., U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center, MS 939, Lakewood, CO 80225, BRENNAN, Sean T., Eastern Energy Resources Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 956 National Center, Reston, VA 20192, EAST, Joseph A., Eastern Energy Resources, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 956, Reston, VA 20192, REPETSKI, John E., U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA 20192 and ROWAN, Elisabeth L., Eastern Energy Resources Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, MS 956, Reston, VA 20192

Petroleum source rocks occur in a limited number of settings in Paleozoic basins of the eastern United States, and comparison from one basin to another can provide insight for exploration strategies. In the Illinois Basin, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) identified the following four total petroleum systems (TPS), each of which is defined according to distinct petroleum source rocks:

1) Precambrian to Cambrian TPS: Defined on the basis of hypothetical petroleum source rocks of lacustrine origin within the Reelfoot Rift and/or within the overlying post-rift Cambrian Eau Claire Formation. These source rocks are postulated from comparison with known source rocks of lacustrine origin in a Precambrian rift basin of the Michigan Basin (Nonesuch Shale) and speculative source rocks in a Precambrian rift basin of the Appalachian Basin (Anakeesta Formation).

2) Ordovician Ancell/Maquoketa TPS: Defined on the basis of known petroleum source rocks within the Middle-Upper Ordovician Ancell Group and Upper Ordovician Platteville, Galena, and Maquoketa Groups. These source rocks are relatively thin organic-rich beds that exhibit wide ranges in organic matter content and composition, and have supplied petroleum to various Ordovician reservoirs. Some of these source rocks are correlative with the Ordovician Utica Shale and Collingwood Shale of the Appalachian and Michigan Basins;

3) Devonian-Mississippian New Albany TPS: Defined on the basis of known petroleum source rocks within the Middle Devonian-Lower Mississippian New Albany Shale and equivalent strata. These source rocks are the most prolific in the basin, and have supplied petroleum to reservoirs ranging in age from Cambrian through Pennsylvanian. Some of these source rocks are correlative with the Devonian Marcellus Shale and Antrim Shale of the Appalachian and Michigan Basins;

4) Pennsylvanian Coal and Shale TPS: Defined on the basis of known petroleum source rocks within the Middle Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian) Carbondale and Shelburn Formations in Illinois and Kentucky and the Carbondale Group in Indiana. These source rocks are beds of coal and organic-rich shale, and have supplied petroleum to various Pennsylvanian reservoirs. Some of these source rocks are correlative with beds of Pennsylvanian coal and shale in the Appalachian and Michigan Basins.