Conference proceeding
Stratigraphic architecture of the Bear Lake Formation, Bristol Bay basin, Alaska Peninsula
Abstracts: Annual Meeting - American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Vol.14, p.A117
AAPG 2005 annual convention
2005
Abstract
The Miocene Bear Lake Formation (BLF) forms spectacular exposures along the coast and mountains of the central Alaska Peninsula. This formation is approximately 1000 m thick onshore and up to 2360 m thick in offshore boreholes. The BLF has produced oil shows in offshore exploration wells and is considered to be one of the primary potential reservoirs in this frontier basin. Ongoing stratigraphic analysis of the BLF indicates that it consists of three main facies associations. The lower part of the formation contains fine-grained sandstone within broad channels. Internal stratification in these channels mimics the channel geometry. Tabular conglomerate beds ( approximately 50 cm thick) containing disarticulated oyster fossils are interbedded with the sandstone. We interpret this facies association to have been deposited in subtidal and shelf environments of a sand-dominated estuarine system. The middle part of the formation is characterized by medium-grained sandstone with well developed lateral accretion surfaces. This facies forms large channel complexes with lengths of 100's of meters. Interbedded with the channel sandstone are flaser bedded sandstone and siltstone, and fossilized oyster banks. We interpret this facies association to represent intertidal and subtidal channel and tidal flat environments. The upper part of the section contains trough cross stratified sandstone and conglomerate. Ripple-laminated siltstone and coal are interbedded with the sandstone. We interpret this facies association to have been deposited in the fluvial-dominated part of the estuarine system. Ongoing palynological, porosity/permeability, and TOC analyses are being conducted to evaluate the reservoir potential of each of these facies associations.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Stratigraphic architecture of the Bear Lake Formation, Bristol Bay basin, Alaska Peninsula
- Creators
- Kenneth D Ridgway - Purdue University West LafayetteRocky R ReifenstuhlEmily S Finzel
- Resource Type
- Conference proceeding
- Publication Details
- Abstracts: Annual Meeting - American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Vol.14, p.A117
- Conference
- AAPG 2005 annual convention
- Publisher
- American Association of Petroleum Geologists and Society for Sedimentary Geology
- Alternative title
- AAPG 2005 annual convention; abstracts volume
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2005
- Academic Unit
- Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9984240897102771
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