Arkoma Basin Petroleum

Past, Present, and Future

Neil H. Suneson
Oklahoma Geological Survey

Oklahoma City Geological Society &

Oklahoma Geological Survey
Geology Workshop

March 7, 2012
Have shamelessly taken other peoples’ slides
from all over the internet, so special thanks
to:

OGS colleagues Dan Boyd, Rick Andrews,

Brian Cardott
USGS geologists for posting powerpoints
AAPG for having Bulletin online
OGS for having publications online
Bill Gates for Print Screen

Note: This presentation will be posted on OGS website

Thrust belts and foreland basins of North America
Arkoma Basin – one of many (Black Warrior, Fort Worth,
Kerr) petroleum-bearing foreland basins.
But what exactly is a “foreland basin” (aka
“foredeep”)? Features/characteristics:

1. Elongate basin, adjacent and parallel to compressional

orogenic belt
2. Forms between orogenic belt and craton
3. Site of potential sediment accumulation
4. Two types:
Peripheral forms on subducted/underthrust plate
Retroarc forms on overriding plate behind
magmatic arc
5. Consists of four discrete depozones:
Wedge-top
Foredeep
Forebulge
Backbulge
 S N
in Arkoma – Ouachita system

Arkoma Basin – Ouachita orogenic belt is a peripheral

foreland basin. There is no identified magmatic arc, basin
developed on subducted plate.

But note that orogenic belt (topographic load) does not

necessarily have to be above sea level.
Ouachita subduction zone -
south facing

published version
 S N

Older foredeep sediments – moving thrust sheets

Carboniferous strata in Ouachitas record a south-to-north

migration of the orogenic wedge and foredeep, with
foredeep strata becoming progressively incorporated into
the wedge.

“High” to south only locally breaks sea level, and

topography on wedge top traps most of what little
sediment comes from south.
 S N

The result:
Strata in the wedge (thrust sheets of turbidite
strata – Stanley, Jackfork, Atoka in Ouachita orogenic
belt) should be similar to those in the foredeep
(turbidite strata in Arkoma Basin -Atoka Fm.)
This is, in fact, what we see.
So stratigraphic traps in Arkoma Basin should be
present in Ouachitas, albeit with more structure.
So ……. My area of interest
Why the Arkoma Basin?
Lots and lots of gas.
(Note: map somewhat dated: 2002)
Desm hinge line or Arkansas River,
limit of folding Mulberry Fault

Edge of Seminole
Uplift

Choctaw Fault

How to define the Arkoma Basin?

What are the borders?
“Structural” boundary of Arkoma Basin (from 1968 AAPG
Memoir showing folds in the Arkoma Basin)
Folds in Arkoma Basin from Arbenz (2008). Area 1 – Folds
are drapes over mostly S-side-down normal faults. Area
2W – Folds are thin-skinned compressional structures.
Both types of folds form traps.
Ideal (simple) Arkoma Basin compressional structure.
Asymmetric (steep north limb), thrust-cored, closed.
Another definition of the northern boundary of the
Arkoma Basin – Desmoinesian hinge zone.

Note thickening of Booch (middle and lower McAlester

Fm.) and Hartshorne Fm. south into basin.
 NNW-SSE strat
section hung on
Prue B/Oswego showing
Verdigris thickening of
Pink Atokan through
Skinner-RF
Cherokee strata off
Bartlesville of platform and
Brown into Arkoma Basin.
(from Visher et al.,
Booch-McAl
Hartshorne 1971)
Atoka-Spiro

Wap-Crom

Caney RF – Red Fork

Mayes McAl – McAlester
Wap – Wapanucka
Crom - Cromwell
Isopach map of McAlester Fm., showing hinge line along
northwestern edge of Arkoma Basin, and abrupt
thickening into the basin (from Busch, 1974)
My source for OK reservoir strata:

ARKOMA BASIN COMPLETIONS (>100)

Calvin* Fanshawe Caney*
Allen* Gilcrease*/Morris* Woodford*
Senora* Red Oak Hunton*
Thurman* Panola Viola*
Red Fork*/Earlsboro* Brazil Simpson*
Bartlesville*/Salt* Cecil Arbuckle*
Savanna Spiro
Booch*/McAlester Wapanucka*
Hartshorne Union Valley*
Atoka Lime* Cromwell* (*other provinces, too)
Atoka* Jefferson*
Principal reservoirs in
northern part of Arkoma
Basin.
Most of these in most places
are fluvial-dominated deltaic.
Allen
Senora
Stuart, Thurman
 Hartshorne Ss.
TXO 1 Gallagher
NWNW 26/6N/21E

Abrupt base, uniform

sand development
typical of channel fills

Log character of incised channel-fill sandstone in

Hartshorne Fm. Characteristics: thick, typically linear, best
reservoir quality.
Hartshorne incised channel-fill sandstone
outcrop, Red Oak Ridge.
 Principal reservoir units in
southern part of Arkoma Basin

Desmoinesian units are mostly

fluvial-deltaic.

Upper Atokan units are shallow

marine.

Middle Atokan units are mostly

deep-water.

Lower Atokan and Morrowan

units are shallow marine.

Remember this slide

Production map of part of Panola Field, showing production
from Panola, Diamond, Bullard, Cecil, Shay, and undivided
lower Atoka sandstones plus Wapanucka
 Vastar
4-13 Heitner
SWNE 13/5N/19E

Repeated section of
deep-water Atoka
turbidites in Panola
Field, Latimer County.

Key to further
exploration – restore
thrust plates to original
position, then look at
reservoir facies.
 BTA No. 2-24 JV-P
Amason, Veterans
Colony West Field

Typical log character of

Spiro sandstone. Note
conspicuous “sub-Spiro
shale” (Atokan –
Morrowan boundary)
separating Spiro and
Wapanucka Limestone.
OUACHITA OROGENIC BELT COMPLETIONS

Spiro/Wapanucka
Jackfork
Stanley
Arkansas Novaculite
Bigfork
BASIN

OUACHITA
FIELDS
Hartshorne S, Panola S:
Atoka, Spiro, Wap

Jackfork:
Potato Hills,
Talihina NW

Bigfork (old):
Potato Hills, Jumbo S

Ark. Novaculite: Stanley:

Daisy W, Moyers SW
Isom Sprs.
Remember this slide
Channel sandstone in Jackfork Group, McKinley Rocks
Not all turbidites are created equal
 HISTORY OF HYDROCARBON
EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT
IN THE ARKOMA BASIN
AND OUACHITA MOUNTAINS
Exploration periods:
● Solids Are Good period (pre-1910)
● Anticlines Are Good period (1910 – 1935)
● Geologic Maps Are Good period (1935 – 1950)
● Drilling Deeper Is Good period (1950 – 1980)
● Thrust Plates Are Good period (1980 - ~1990)
● Horizontal Wells Are Good period (~1990 – present)
● The Future
 SOLIDS ARE GOOD
PRE- 1910 EARLY HISTORY

Prehistory. Native Americans used asphaltites to bind

arrowheads to shafts
1812. Asphaltite (called coal) noted by explorer John Maley
Civil War years. Gas seep near Chilli (probably along
Carbon Fault) used by soldiers
1890. Asphaltite vein discovered near Jumbo. Mined from
1892 to 1924
1899. First scientific report on asphaltites by Taff
1907. Asphaltite vein discovered near Sardis
1910. Explosion at Jumbo Mine, several killed.
WWI. Impsonite mined at Page for vanadium
Early asphalt and
asphaltite pits and mines
in western Ouachita Mtns.,
Arkoma Basin, and
Cretaceous overlap (from
1911 OGS Bulletin 2).

Upper photos – asphalt

pits (location not given).
Lower photo – pile of
gypsonite (sic) (gilsonite?)
Top – asphalt mine,
Tuskahoma.

Middle – dump of asphalt

mine.

Bottom – asphalt mine near

Atoka.

(from 1911 OGS Bull. 2)

 ANTICLINES ARE GOOD (1910 – 1935)
1902. First natural gas discovered in Arkoma Basin near
Mansfield, Arkansas.
1910. Poteau Gas Field discovered. Le Flore County Gas
and Electric No. 1 Hill in Hartshorne Ss on Poteau
Anticline.
1912. Red Oak Gas Field discovered. Gladys Belle O&G
Co. in Hartshorne Ss on Brazil Anticline.
1914. Word “structure” first used in Cushing Field.
1914. Redden Oil Field discovered.
1921. Dake first suggests Ouachitas result of thrust
faulting.
1929. Wilburton Gas Field discovered. Limestone O&G
No. 1 Nettie McCurray in Hartshorne Ss on
Wilburton Anticline.
1932. Peak of drilling activity in McGee Valley.
1912 map (USGS
Bulletin 541) showing
location of Poteau
Gas Field on Poteau
Anticline.
September 22, 1910

At Poteau, ……. a 10,000,000 gasser, with 100

pounds of pressure, was drilled some months
ago and shut in. The New York Fiscal Agency,
owner of considerable land in that vicinity, is
interested in the gas development and is
arranging to drill another well at once and two
more later …….. The Poteau gasser is much
stronger than any of the 70 or more drilled near
Forth Smith on the Arkansas side of the line.
The gas was found at about 1,000 feet and it is
not improbable that oil will be found some-
where in that neighborhood, formations and
conditions apparently being favorable.
But interestingly, the Poteau Field did not make it on to this
1915 map of Oklahoma oil and gas fields.
But Poteau and Red Oak Fields are on this 1916 USGS map.
Cable-tool rig at Redden Oil Field (photo taken in 2000)
Is there anything down
there?

Sampling old oil well at

Redden Field.

Reservoir at Redden:
Sandstone in Stanley –
at least some dipdown
from tar sand at surface
(trap)
The Poteau and Red Oak Fields proved the success of
drilling anticlines (first used at Cushing in 1914).
Structure contour map of Brazil Anticline (Red Oak –
Norris Field, 1968) on Hartshorne Ss (relatively shallow)

Note anticline is asymmetric (steep north limb)

(Note also shape of Cavanal Syncline – totally bogus)
Structure contour map of Brazil Anticline (Red Oak –
Norris Field, 1968) on Red Oak Ss (moderately deep)

North-vergent thrust faults present; explain asymmetric

fold at Hartshorne level. Really beginning to understand
structure of Arkoma Basin folds.
Beginning to recognize the COMPLEXITY of anticlinal
structures.
Still some very fundamental flaws in understanding
the deep structure in the Arkoma Basin and the
shallower structure in the Ouachita Mountains. E.g.,
involvement of basement.

1968 cross section through Red Oak – Norris field.

 GEOLOGIC MAPS ARE GOOD PERIOD
(1935 – 1950)

1937. USGS Bulletin by Knechtel on resources of the

Lehigh coal district
1937. USGS Bulletin by Hendricks on resources of the
McAlester coal district
1938. USGS Bulletin by Dane et al. on resources of the
Quinton-Scipio coal district
1939. USGS Bulletin by Hendricks on resources of the
Howe-Wilburton coal district
1947. Geologic map on western part of Ouachita
Mountains by Hendricks et al.
Surface geologic map of Ouachita Mountains. Most of
western part and all of Arkoma Basin (to the north)
mapped by USGS. Even to present, these maps are little
improved upon.
 DEEPER DRILLING IS GOOD PERIOD
(and new sed-strat concepts) (1950 - 1980)

1959. Discovery of Red Oak, Spiro Sss at Red Oak Field

by Midwest and Frankfort No. 1 Orr
1959. Paper by Dan Busch on Pennsylvanian delta
deposits, inc. Booch in Arkoma Basin
1960. Paper by Lewis Cline on deep-water deposits
(turbidites, flysch) of Ouachita Mountains
1960. Potato Hills Gas Field discovered by Sinclair No. 1
Reneau in Bigfork Chert
1960. Wilburton Gas Field “rediscovered” by
Ambassador No. 1 Williams in Spiro
1977. Isom Springs Oil Field discovered by Westheimer-
Neustadt No. 1 Wallace in Arkansas Novaculite
1978. Pittsburg Gas Field discovered by Hamilton Bros.
No. 1 Chitty-Scott in Wapanucka, Cromwell
Classic paper by Dan Busch on Pennsylvanian delta systems
in Arkoma Basin. Explained reservoir distribution and
heterogeneity.
 Principal reservoirs
in northern part of
Arkoma Basin.

Most of these in
most places are
fluvial-dominated
deltaic.

Red Fork,
Bartlesville, Booch
Advancing thrust front high enough to funnel turbidite
fans but not high enough to contribute sediment.
Principal reservoir units in
southern part of Arkoma Basin
and thrust-faulted part of
Ouachita Mountains

Middle Atokan units are mostly

deep-water and are named in
Arkoma Basin.

Atoka sandstones in Ouachitas

are deep-water and mostly
unnamed (Atoka only).

(excludes shallow-water Spiro, Wapanucka)

Oil in fractured chert. Don’t forget the …
A reminder ……..
from 1980 …….

of the similarities of
the Woodford Chert
and the Arkansas
Novaculite.

…”a new petroleum

province in the
Ouachita facies …”

Remember this slide

 THRUST PLATES ARE GOOD PERIOD
1980 - ~1990
1982. Publication of Alberta thrust-front geometry paper
by Jones; recognition of triangle zone
1982. South Blanco Gas Field discovered by Hamilton
Bros. 1-30 Indian Nations from Wapanucka and
repeated Wapanucka
1985 – 1988. Infill drilling of Red Oak Field by Amoco.
1987. Wilburton “Deep” discovered by Arco 2 Yourman in
Arbuckle horst block
1987. SOPC 1-22 Weyerhaeuser well drilled on crest of
Broken Bow Uplift. TD ~19,000 ft
1988. SW Haileyville Gas Field discovered by Amoco 2
Zipperer from overturned Spiro/Wapanucka
1988. Publication of Arkoma Basin depositional history by
Sutherland – changing source terranes
Triangle zone geometry explains Arkoma Basin – Ouachita
fold-and-thrust belt transition.
Triangle zone typically floored by duplex structure with
floor and roof detachments. Explains repeated, overturned
reservoirs in Arkoma – Ouachita transition zone.
Remember this slide
 Hmmmmm

How far south does the Woodford extend? Certainly a

source rock; possibly reservoir?
Woodford Shale near Bengal in Ouachita Mountains -
What is it doing there and where did it come from and
is there more?
Removing movement on thrusts better understanding
of the Atokan growth faults that formed Arkoma Basin
● Middle Atoka thickens across S-side-down growth faults
● Middle Atoka dominantly fluvial-deltaic to N; deeper
water (turbidites) to S
● Recognition of different deep-water facies in middle
Atoka reservoirs
 But does recognize
different facies in
different parts of the
Atoka

Tremendously over-simplified sketch of facies relations

across growth faults.
One of the facies models for one of the Atoka reservoir
sandstones – the Red Oak Ss. Question: Does this work for
any of the other Atoka sandstone reservoirs?
Details of distribution and facies regional picture of
sedimentary history of entire basin
Shelf sedimentation, development of basin, advancing
submarine tectonic wedge, turbidites and deep-water facies
Advancing thrust sheets, filling of basin from east then
north, uplift and erosion of Ouachitas
 Wilburton “Deep”
The impact of sub-thrust
structure on overlying
3 structures. Wilburton
1 “original”, Wilburton
2
“rediscovery”, and
Wilburton “Deep”
discovery wells all
located within a mile of
each other.

1. Limestone No. 1 McCurray, 1929, in Hartshorne on

Wilburton Anticline
2. Ambassador No. 1 Williams, 1960, in Spiro in thrust sheet
3. Arco No. 2 Yourman, 1987, in Arbuckle in horst block
Arbuckle horst block (Arbuckle juxtaposed against
Woodford); higher thrust-faulted Spiro; higher still Atoka
reservoirs.
 HORIZONTAL WELLS ARE GOOD PERIOD
~1990 - PRESENT

1988. First production of CBM. Hartshorne coal, Kinta

Field
1996. Potato Hills Gas Field “rediscovered” by GHK No.
1-33 Ratcliff in sub- (mid-level) thrust Jackfork Ss.
2004. First shale gas development from Woodford Sh in
Pittsburg, Hughes Counties
2012. This Meeting
Coalbed methane drilling in Arkoma Basin. Peak activity
2004-2006, immediately before gas shale boom.
Continued effort to determine what makes a good CBM
well. Here, relation of lateral length to IP (2010 report).
Most Arkoma Basin CBM wells are in Hartshorne, and
most are north of coal split line where coal is thickest.
Woodford Shale gas play - part of much larger shale gas play.
Largely result of better horizontal drilling and multi-stage
hydraulic fracturing techniques.
 Present-day Stress Map

In OK, max compressive

stress ~N75E-S75W, so
best lateral direction
N15W-S15E. But most are
N-S due to land. (Close
enough for gov’t work)
The present. 2011 OK Drilling Highlights (Boyd, Mar-Apr
2012 Shale Shaker). Hartshorne CBM basically dead; minor
Miss. Chat; most activity is Woodford
 THE FUTURE
of Arkoma Basin and Ouachita Mountains
Petroleum Exploration

To ignore the two killers:

● Awful gas prices (currently)

● No infrastructure (how long?)
Plays, concepts, and unknowns:
Arkoma Basin:
● more Woodford Shale development* (okay okay)
● middle Atoka Fm. sandstone facies
● transition-zone structure to east
● organic shales in middle Atoka Fm.*
Ouachita Mountains:
● Woodford Shale – how far to S beneath thrusts?
● early – middle Paleozoic shelf edge
● organic shales in Atoka Fm.*
● structure/fractured Atoka Fm. sandstones in
frontal belt*
● anticlines
● Jackfork – another Potato Hills?
● Stanley – hints from old fields
● Arkansas Novaculite – remember Isom Springs
● Bigfork Chert*
 Hartshorne CBM wells
Hartshorne CBM wells drilled drilled subparallel to axis
subparallel to regional of Russelville Syncline
structure (largely covered)

Woodford wells drilled

Wells drilled into
subparallel to Shmin McAlester
thrust sheets

Horizontal wells drilled in Pittsburg Co.

CBM – subparallel to Pennn regional structure; thrust sheets –
perpendicular to Pennn regional structure; gas shale –
subparallel to present-day minimum horiz. stress direction
Principal reservoir units in
southern part of Arkoma Basin

“Middle Atokan units are

mostly deep-water.”

Can we identify facies relations

and distributions of these like
we’ve done for the Red Oak?
Have fair handle on structural geology of transition zone
in Red Oak area and to west, but not as well to east. Same
picture to east? Probably not.
 Panola S

Buff. Mtn. S,
Tal NW

Pot. Hills

Map from IHS

Why is Le Flore County being dissed? Thermal maturity?

Are there enough wells +/- data to really know?
How far beneath Ouachita thrust faults does Woodford
extend? Where might it be reservoir-quality, and where
might it serve as source rock for overlying units?
A related question –

Where is the Morrowan

and pre-Morrowan
shelf edge beneath the
thrusts, and where is
the juxtaposition of
source rock in the basin
(to the south) against
reservoir rock on the
shelf (to the north)?
 Anticlines Are Still Good

Y
O
Y

Potapo Creek Anticline prospect, originally documented

by Misch and Oles as part of Union of California Ouachita
exploration project. Small, now abandoned oil field,
but ………………..
 Rollover anticlines in
Ark. Nov., Bigfork –
potential for fractured
reservoirs
Stanley
Ark. Novaculite
Bigfork

Union’s cross section from 1955. We now know the fault is

listric and that a fault-bend fold (anticline) probably occurs
in the overriding plate. These structures are common
throughout the Ouachitas.
Jackfork fields in northern Ouachitas – production
from fractured/tight sandstones, anticlinal crests, and ...
Stratigraphic (channel sands) traps throughout Ouachitas
 .
Talihina

.
Daisy

.
Atoka Stanley Group
Oil and Gas Fields

Stanley produces dribs and drabs of oil and gas throughout

Ouachitas. Poor reservoir? Are we treating it right? More
modern completion techniques required?
The Elephant
in the Room

Woodford Shale

Arkansas
Novaculite