Reservoir characterization of the Deadwood formation western North Dakota, Williston Basin
Over the past few decades, the Cambro-Ordovician-aged Deadwood Formation in the Williston Basin was studied by many researchers for oil and gas exploration and alternative energy production. The previous Deadwood Formation published literature documents surface and subsurface research, with the only outcrops exposed in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Despite decades of petroleum exploration and development in the Deadwood Formation, research shows that the conventional hydrocarbon reservoirs of the Deadwood Formation are not as lucrative as previously understood. Consequently, the current research focuses on these basal siliciclastic sands for emerging renewable energy sectors such as carbon capture sequestration (CCS) and sedimentary geothermal energy resources. Geothermal exploration in the Deadwood Formation is already underway in the northern part of the Williston Basin in southern Saskatchewan by DEEP Earth Energy Production Corporation and various other researchers. This study focuses on determining the geographic extent of geothermal energy prospectivity in western North Dakota. This project combines traditional hydrocarbon reservoir characterization techniques such as well-log based petrophysical analysis, core descriptions, XRF methods, and geothermal exploration methods such as isotherm mapping. The key outcome of this detailed reservoir characterization research will be to improve the understanding of the geothermal energy potential of the Deadwood Formation within the specific study area, along with identifying key reservoirs for various geothermal energy development. Achieving these goals will help to advance and encourage geothermal energy development in basal siliciclastic reservoirs within sedimentary basins that lack significant heat flow from active magmatism.
Cambrian, Deadwood, Deadwood formation, geothermal, reservoir characterization, Williston Basin
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