The Porosity And Permeability Distribution Of The Shoal Grainstone And Thrombolitic Facies Of The Smackover Formation In Little Cedar Creek And Brooklyn Fields In Southwestern Alabama

The Smackover Formation is the most prolific hydrocarbon producer in Alabama, with the Little Cedar Creek and Brooklyn Fields being the two largest producers in Alabama. Unlike other Smackover fields Little Cedar Creek Field and Brooklyn Field production is the result of two reservoirs, known as the shoal grainstone and thrombolite (microbial) boundstone. Even with the success of the Smackover Formation, geographic trends of the porosity and permeability are problematic because production is affected. The distribution of the facies also plays a role in the porosity and permeability. The objective of this study is to delineate porosity and permeability trends of the shoal grainstone and thrombolite facies to the lithofacies that appear in Smackover Formation in Little Cedar Creek and Brooklyn Fields. Seven distinct lithofacies appear throughout the Little Cedar Creek and Brooklyn Fields categorized from top to bottom; (S-1) peritidal lime mudstone-wackestone; (S-2) tidal channel conglomeratic floatstone-rudstone; (S-3) peloid-ooid shoal grainstone-packstone (upper reservoir); (S-4) subtidal lime wackestone-mudstone; (S-5) microbially-influenced packstone-wackestone; (S-6) subtidal clotted peloidal thrombolite boundstone (lower reservoir); (S-7) transgressive lime mudstone-dolostone. The oolitic grainstone (S-3) and thrombolite reservoir (S-6) reservoir are affected by the tidal channel conglomerate facies and the lime mudstone-dolostone facies that emerge within the Smackover. The data indicates that values for porosity and permeability can be established in Little Cedar Creek and Brooklyn Fields but cannot be the only tools employed to determine future production within these two fields or other Smackover fields that demonstrate the same quality. The oolitic grainstone is affected by the tidal channel facies, which affects the porosity and permeability and in turn oil and gas production because when the tidal channel appears the oolitic grainstone facies disappears. When the microbially-influenced packstone-wackestone facies is well developed and the lime mudstone-dolostone facies is thick, the thrombolite boundstone facies tends to disappear causing porosity and permeability to be affected.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S. in Engineering Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Geology and Geological Engineering

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Thomas, Devin

Contributors dc:contributor

• Louis G. Zachos
• Brian Platt
• Greg Easson

• Geology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/605

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:egrove.olemiss.edu:etd-1604