Date of Award
12-1990
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Geological and Environmental Sciences
First Advisor
Dr. William B. Harrison III
Second Advisor
Dr. David A. Barnes
Third Advisor
Dr. Neil F. Hurley
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
West Branch field is a low-relief, NW-SE-trending anticline near the center o f the Michigan basin. Since 1934, the Dundee Limestone (Middle Devonian) has produced over 12 million barrels of oil from this field. From core studies, six depositional facies types were recognized in the Dundee. These are dominated by bioclastic carbonate sand facies deposited in normal-marine shelf settings. Although burial cements have occluded some porosity, carbonate sand facies have retained significant primary interparticle porosity and are the most important reservoir rocks. Micritic facies with restricted faunal assemblages are present at the top of the Dundee. The top 10 to 15 feet were dolomitized before the deposition of the overlying Rogers City Limestone. This dolomite has high porosity but very low permeability. Cross sections from well logs show that facies distribution in the Dundee is largely lenticular. This understanding of distribution of porous and nonporous units will allow design and evaluation o f waterflood programs.
Recommended Citation
Curran, Brendan Ciaran, "Reservoir Geology of the Dundee Limestone, West Branch Field, Michigan" (1990). Masters Theses. 1053.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/1053