Regional Facies Trends in the Upper Ismay Zone of the Blanding Sub-Basin of the Paradox Basin, Utah: Aids

for Identifying Possible Targets for Horizontal Drilling

David E. Eby, Eby Petrography & Consulting, Inc. Thomas C. Chidsey, Jr., Craig D. Morgan, and Kevin McClure Utah Geological Survey

R 21 E

R 22 E

R 23 E

R 24 E

R 25 E

R 26 E

20 W

Abstract
The Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian) Paradox Formation has produced over 50 MMBO in the Blanding subbasin of the Paradox Basin, Utah and Colorado. Reservoirs within the Utah portion of the upper Ismay zone of the Paradox Formation are dominantly limestones composed of small, phylloid-algal buildups; locally variable, inner-shelf skeletal calcarenites; and rare, open-marine, bryozoan mounds. Regional subsurface mapping of depositional facies for the two productive intervals of the ~150-ft-thick upper Ismay zone shows considerable spatial heterogeneity of the reservoir and non-reservoir rock types. The location and shape of several anhydrite-rich, intra-shelf basins play major roles in the deposition and orientation of productive phylloid-algal buildups, as well as the shoreline facies that wrap around these evaporite basins. Facies distal from the anhydrite-filled basins generally contain less favorable reservoir rocks, whereas most phylloid-algal buildups and porous inner-shelf facies are very close to the intra-shelf basins. The two upper Ismay zone intervals mapped show considerable differences in the distribution of these anhydrite basins and their surrounding facies. Regional cross sections, isopach relationships of important stratigraphic intervals, and facies types combined with examination of cores throughout the Blanding sub-basin have provided a significant database for identifying potential targets for horizontal drilling within the small, heterogenous phylloid-algal buildups and associated facies in the upper Ismay zone. Facies and reservoir controls imposed by the upper Ismay anhydritic intrashelf basins should be considered when selecting the optimal location and orientation of any horizontal drilling for undrained reserves, as well as identifying new exploration trends.

T 35 S

R 19 W
Papoose Canyon Cahone

T 40 N

T 36 S

6
Wild Station

Caballo Mustang Flat

Bug

Ucola

Squaw Creek Alkali Point

T 39 N

UTAH

T 37 S

Cherokee Alkali Canyon

Deadman Canyon Rock Canyon

Bradford Canyon Deadman Cave Hatch Patterson Canyon

COLORADO

Dove Creek Island Butte

T 38 N

McCracken Spring

Little Nancy

T 38 S

Squaw Point Squaw Canyon

Grayson

Kachina

1
T 39 S
Cowboy

Tin Cup Mesa Bannock Kiva Cajon Lake Cutthroat (McClean)

T 37 N

Broken Hills

3
Bluff

Monument Runway Cajon Mesa Tower Ismay

T 36 N

T 40 S

Bluff Bench Turner Bluff

Recapture

Flodine Park

Greater Aneth
Ismay
Heron McElmo Mesa North

Cache

T 35 N T 34 N T 331/2 N

Sleeping Ute

T 41 S

Gothic Mesa Tohonadla Hogan Jack Desert Creek Brown Hogan

Desert Canyon Marble Wash

Clay Hill
Mule Anasazi

Roadrunner Rockwell Flat Towoac Cone Rock Sage Hen

T 42 S

Heron River Bank Yellow Rock Anido Creek

Blue Hogan

Akah Chinle Wash Cleft Rabbit Ears

T 33 N T 32 N

T 43 S

Boundary Butte

UTAH ARIZONA
Boundary Butte East

T 41 N

N
R 26 E R 27 E R 28 E R 29 E R 30 E

UTAH

West
Honaker Trail Formation

East
upper Ismay lower Ismay upper Desert Creek lower Desert Creek Chimney Rock Shale Akah Barker Creek Pinkerton Trail Formation Molas Formation
organic (bryozoan) buildup

Ismay mound trend

Northern Desert Creek beach/ mound trend

Desert Creek shelf margin trend

Cross Sections

Pennsylvanian

Hermosa Group

Paradox Formation

Study Area and Fields within Ismay and Desert Creek Producing Trends (red lines designate cross section locations)
Evaporites

open shelf/ r ior e middl or m inte platf ve l sea le

ner ted in r m ic r e s t r l f / p l a t fo she ter ior in

phylloidalgal mound

lagoon

bay

tidal fla ts

Miss.

0 ft.

Leadville Limestone
90 ft.

Pennsylvanian Stratigraphy of the Southern Paradox Basin. For this study the upper Ismay has been divided into two units the upper part and the lower part.
open marine

salinas

Acknowledgments
This ongoing research is performed under the direction of the Utah Geological Survey, Thomas C. Chidsey, Jr., Principal Investigator, as part of the Class II Oil Revisit Program of the U.S. Department of Energy, National Petroleum Technology Office, Tulsa, Oklahoma, contract number DE-FC26-00BC15128. The Contracting Officer's Representative is Gary D. Walker. Project participants include Seeley Oil Company and Eby Petrography & Consulting, Inc. Core and petrophysical data were provided by Burlington Resources, Anadarko Petroleum Company, Seeley Oil Company, Marathon Oil Company, and Samedan Oil Corporation. Core descriptions also incorporated interpretations by Carl R. Cannizzaro, M. Randal Skinner, and Michael H. Roylance. Cheryl Gustin, Vicky Clarke, Jim Parker, Carolyn Olsen, and Tom Dempster of the Utah Geological Survey, drafted figures, designed displays, and photographed core.

Regional Ismay Depositional Facies (tan fairway on the study map above)

UTAH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

D E PA R T M E N T O F N AT U R A L R E S O U R C E S