In 2013, a continuous 624-foot core hole was drilled and logged by the U.S. Geological Survey in Natrona County, Wyoming, with the goal to better understand Cretaceous source rocks in the Wind River Basin. The core hole, named the Alcova Reservoir AR–1–13, penetrated the interval extending from the upper part of the Lower Cretaceous Cloverly Formation to the lower part of the Upper Cretaceous Frontier Formation. The lithologies are predominantly mudrock, with minor amounts of sandstone and altered volcanic ash beds that were deposited in open marine, nearshore marine, and fluvial settings.
Samples were collected from open marine clay-rich, dark-colored mudrocks, and these were analyzed for total organic carbon content and by programmed pyrolysis analysis. The results show that the lower part of the Frontier Formation, Shell Creek Shale equivalent, and the Thermopolis Shale contain Type III gas-prone kerogen, with poor to fair generative source rock potential. The upper part of the Mowry Shale has good to excellent generative potential, with organic matter composed mainly of Type II oil-prone kerogen with some mixed Type II/III kerogen capable of generating oil and gas.
Citation Information
| Publication Year | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Title | Lithologic descriptions, geophysical logs, and source-rock geochemistry of the U.S. Geological Survey Alcova Reservoir AR–1–13 Core Hole, Natrona County, Wyoming |
| DOI | 10.3133/sir20195123 |
| Authors | Mark A. Kirschbaum, Thomas M. Finn, Christopher J. Schenk, Sarah J. Hawkins |
| Publication Type | Report |
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Series Title | Scientific Investigations Report |
| Series Number | 2019-5123 |
| Index ID | sir20195123 |
| Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
| USGS Organization | Central Energy Resources Science Center |
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Total organic carbon and pyrolysis analysis data for the U.S. Geological Survey Alcova AR-1-13 core hole, Natrona County, Wyoming
In 2013 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) drilled a continuous core in the southeastern part of the Wind River Basin, Wyoming to evaluate the source rock potential of the Lower and lowermost Upper Cretaceous marine shales . The well, named the Alcova Reservoir AR-1-13, located on the northeast flank of the Alcova anticline was spud in the lower part of the Frontier Formation and ended in the upperLAS digital data files for the U.S.Geological Survey Alcova AR-1-13 core hole, Natrona County, Wyoming
In 2013 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) drilled and logged a continuous core located on the northeast flank of the Alcova anticline in the southeastern part of the Wind River Basin, Wyoming to evaluate the source rock potential of the Lower and lowermost Upper Cretaceous marine shales (fig. 1). The well, named the Alcova Reservoir AR-1-13, was spud in the lower part of the Frontier Formation and - Connect