Geologic Controls of Deep Natural Gas Resources in the United States

摘要

Papers in this bulletin summarize major conclusions reached during both phases of our work on deep natural gas resources. Chapters B and C define the areal extent of deep drilling and known resources in the United States. In chapter C, geologic controls of deep natural gas resources are summarized by basin and region. Chapters D and E present a platetectonic framework for deep natural-gas resources (chapter D) and a sequence of Laramide deformation for the Rocky Mountain region with respect to the emplacement of deep natural gas accumulations (chapter E). Chapters F through I discuss reservoir rocks including a summary of reservoir pressures in deep sedimentary basins (chapter F), microporosity trends in reservoirs using mercury-injection porosimetry (chapter G), and porosity in clastic reservoirs in relation to thermal maturity for Rocky Mountain basins and the Anadarko Basin (chapters H and I). Chapters J through M describe geochemical and source-rock studies on Precambrian source-rock potential (chapter J), source and controls of deep-basin natural gas (chapters K and L), and migration of hydrocarbon and nonhydrocarbon gases (chapter M). Chapter N discusses the potential of deep natural gas resources in the Gulf Coast Basin in terms of both source- and reservoir-rocks. In chapter O, assessment methodologies are evaluated, an assessment is presented for a hypothetical deep natural gas play, and play input parameters are modeled in order to show the range of results under different play conditions.