Hydrocarbon Transfer Pathways from Smackover Source Rocks to Younger Reservoir Traps in the Monroe Gas Field, NE Louisiana

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Monroe Gas Field originally contained more than 7 trillion cubic feet of gas. Much of the gas reserve has been produced through wells penetrating the upper Cretaceous Monroe Gas Rock Formation reservoir. Secondary reservoirs in the field area have included those from the Eocene Wilcox Group; upper Cretaceous Arkadelphia, Nacatoch, and Ozan Formations; lower Cretaceous Hosston Formation; and Jurassic Schuler and Smackover Formations. Together, all secondary reservoirs have contributed a minor amount of gas to the field. The source of most of the field's gas appears to have been in the lower Smackover. Source rock maturity was enhanced by igneous activity. Wrench faults and unconformity surfaces served as migration conduits through the pre-Paleocene section. Hydrocarbon transfer pathways appear to be more vertically direct and exhibit a less complex pattern in the Jurassic and lower Cretaceous than in the upper Cretaceous section.