Clay Creek Salt Dome, Washington County, Texas

Abstract

Areal geological work led to the discovery of the Clay Creek salt dome. Oil and gas are produced from sands of Yegua, Cook Mountain, Mount Selman, and Wilcox age. All producing sands lie directly over the dome. No flank production has been found to date. The upward movement of this dome commenced prior to the deposition of lower Wilcox sediments and continued, with intermissions, to the end of Jackson time, when the upward movement, as a whole, seems to have ceased. There are numerous periods throughout the entire known history of this dome in which differential movement took place. However, only two of these periods seem to have extended over a comparatively great length of geologic time. The first lasted through Wilcox deposition, a central depression having started to form during that time. The second and last major period of differential movement extended from the end of Jackson time to slightly beyond the beginning of Miocene time, resulting in a further irregular uplifting of the salt surrounding an extensive area at the center in which there was some downward movement. The central depression is confined principally to the sediments above the dome. The relief gradually decreases from the top of the Jackson formation to the top of the cap ro k. Oil and gas are produced from highs on the rim of this cup-like feature.