Date of Graduation

5-2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Geology (MS)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Geosciences

Advisor/Mentor

Liner, Christopher L.

Committee Member

Zachry, Doy L.

Second Committee Member

Covington, Matthew D.

Abstract

First discovered in 1921, the Minerva-Rockdale Oil Field (MROF) has experienced a recent resurgence of drilling. The targeted Navarro Group is Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) in age and ranges in depth from approximately 100 to 3000+ ft. (subsea). Several thin elongated sandy zones within the Kemp clay of the Corsicana (Navarro) Formation, are the current targets for oil production. These sandy zones are informally divided into the Navarro `A' and `B' and their depositional morphology is described by the shelf plume model, as proposed by Patterson (1983).

Despite the mature nature of the MROF and surrounding area, only a small number of published studies regarding the local strata exist. The purpose of this study is to: (1) produce a regional stratigraphic framework for the Eagle Ford though Navarro Group strata within Milam and surrounding counties, (2) document the sequence-stratigraphic framework for Campanian to Mastrichtian aged strata, (3) recreate and test the depositional shelf plume model developed by Patterson (1983).

Donated well logs and one sidewall core report from a current operator in the Minerva-Rockdale Oil Field as well as raster logs obtained from the Drillinginfo.com aided in reconstructing and testing the shelf plume model. Findings from the correlation of 274 well logs and analysis of the modern sidewall core report challenge depositional proximity of the elongated sand bodies to a deltaic depocenter.

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