Abstract
Niagaran reefs have been the main source of oil and gas production in the state of Michigan for the past three decades. In 1980, the reefs produced about 28 million barrels of oil (82 percent of the state’s production) and almost 150 billion cubic feet of gas (94 percent of the state’s production). At the end of 1980, cumulative production from the reefs reached 190 million barrels of oil and 1.12 trillion cubic feet (31.8 billion m3) of gas (Bricker et al., 1982). Estimates of the primary recoverable reserves contained in the reefs range between 300 to 400 million barrels of oil and 3 to 5 trillion cubic feet (85–140 billion m3) of gas (Mantek, 1976; Caughlin et al., 1976; Yelling and Tek, 1976). The main purpose of this study is to present a detailed analysis of the petrography and sedimentary facies of one of the largest and best core-sampled Niagaran pinnacle reefs in the Michigan Basin, and evaluate their spatial disposition.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
BATHURST, RG.C., 1971, Carbonate Sediments and their Diagenesis: Developments in Sedimentology 12, Elsevier Scientific Publ. Co., Amsterdam, 620 p.
BRICKER, D.M. et al, compilers, 1982, Michigan Oil and Gas Fields, 1980. Annual Statistical Summary 34: Mich. Geol. Survey, Lansing, Mich., 46 P.
BRIGGS, L.I., D. Gill, D.Z. Briggs, and R.D. Elmore, 1980, Transition from open marine to evaporite deposition in the Silurian Michigan Basin: in Nissenbaum, A., ed., Hypersaline and evaporite environments, Elsevier Scientific Publ. Co., Amsterdam, p. 253–270.
BRIGHAM, R.J., 1971, Structural geology of southwestern Ontario and southeastern Michigan: Ontario Dept Mines and Ministry of Northern Affairs, Petroleum Resources Sect., Paper 71–2, 110 p.
BUDROS,R. and L.I. BRIGGS, 1977, Depositional environment of Ruff Formation (upper Silurian) in southeastern Michigan, in reefs and evaporites—concepts and depositional models: Amer. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists, Studies in Geology No. 5, p. 53–71.
BURGESS, R.J., and A.L. BENSON, 1969, Exploration for Niagaran reefs in northern Michigan: Ontario Petroleum Inst. 8th Ann. Conf. Tech. Paper 1; also 1969–70: Oil and Gas Jour., v.67, no.51, p.80–83; v. 67, no. 52, p. 180–188; v. 68, no. 1, p. 122–127.
CAUGHLIN, W.C., F.J. LUCIA, and N.L. MCIVER, 1976, The detection and development of Silurian reefs in northern Michigan: Geophysics, v. 41, p. 646–658.
CHOQUETTE, P.W., and L.C. PRAY, 1970, Geological nomenclature and classification of porosity in sedimentary carbonates: Amer. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull., v. 54, p. 207–250.
DUNCAN, H., 1957, Bryozoa: in Treatise on Marine Ecology and Paleontology, v. 2, Paleoecology: Geol. Soc. America Mem. 67, p. 783–800.
DYER, W.B., 1956, Gravity prospecting in south-western Ontario: Canadian Oil and Gas Industries, v. 9, no. 3, p. 43–44.
ELLS, G.D., 1963, Information on Niagaran Silurian oil and gas pools: Mich. Geol. Surv., 34 p.
ELLS, G.D., 1967, Michigan’s oil and gas pools: Mich. Geol. Surv., Rept. Invest., No. 2, 49 p.
GEYER, R.A., 1963, How to locate reefs in Michigan via gravity work: World Oil, April 1963, p. 101–104.
GILL, D., 1977a, The Belle River Mills gas field; productive Niagaran reefs encased by sabkha deposits, Michigan basin: Michigan Basin Geol. Soc., Spec. Paper 2, 187 p.
GILL, D., 1977b, Salina A-l sabkha cycles and the late Silurian paleogeography of the Michigan basin: Jour. Sedimentary Petrology, v. 47, p. 979–1017.
GILL, D., 1979, Differential entrapment of oil and gas in Niagaran pinnacle reef belt of northern Michigan: Amer. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull., v. 63, no. 4, p. 608–620.
GUSSOW, W.C., 1954, Differential entrapment of oil and gas: a fundamental principle: Amer. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull., v. 38, p. 816–853.
HUH, J.M., L.I. BRIGGS, and D. GILL, 1977, Depositional environments of pinnacle reefs, Niagara and Salina Groups, northern shelf, Michigan Basin: in Reefs and evaporites—concepts and depositional models: Amer. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Studies in Geology 5, p. 1–21.
KAHLE, C.F., 1974, Nature and significance of Silurian rocks at Maumee quarry, Ohio, in Silurian reef-evaporite relationships: Michigan Basin Geol. Soc. Field Conf., p. 31–54.
KAHLE, C.F., 1978, Patch reef development and effects of repeated subaerial exposure in Silurian shelf carbonates, Maumee, Ohio: in Kesling, R.V., ed., Guidebook to Field Excursions: The North-central Section, Geol. Soc. America, p. 63–115.
KAHLE, C.F., and J.C. FLOYD, 1971, Stratigraphic and environmental significance of sedimentary structures in Cayugan (Silurian) tidal flat carbonates, Northwestern Ohio: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 82, p. 2071–2098.
KISSLING, D.L., 1969, Ecology of Silurian crinoid-root bioherms (abst): Geol. Soc. America Abstr. with Prog. 1969, pt. 7, p. 126.
LOGAN, B.W., R. REZAK, and R.N. GINSBURG, 1964, Classification and environmental significance of algal stromatolites, Jour. Geology, v. 72, p. 68–83.
LUNDY, C.L., 1968, Belle River Mills Field: Oil and Gas Field Symp., Mich. Basin Geol. Soc., p. 49–55.
MANTEK, W., 1976, Recent exploration activity in Michigan: Ontario Petroleum Inst., 15th Ann. Conf. Proc., 29 p.
MATTHEWS, D., 1970, The distribution of Silurian potash in the Michigan Basin: in Sixth Forum on Geology of Industrial Minerals: Mich. Geol. Survey, Lansing, MI, p. 20–33.
MCCLINTOCK, P.L., 1977, Seismic data processing techniques in exploration for reefs, northern Michigan: in Reefs and evaporites—concepts and depositional models: Amer. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Studies in Geology 5, p. 111–124.
MESOLELLA, K.J., J.D. ROBINSON, and A.R. ORMISTON, 1974, Cyclic deposition of Silurian carbonates and evaporites in Michigan basin: Amer. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull., v. 58, p. 34–62.
MULTER, H.G., 1972, Field guide to some carbonate rock environments, Florida Keys and western Bahamas: Miami Geol. Soc., Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL, 159 p.
MULTER, H.G., and J.E. HOFFMEISTER, 1968, Subaerial laminated crusts of the Florida Keys: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 79, p. 183–192.
NURMI, R.D., 1974, The Lower Salina (Upper Silurian) stratigraphy in a desiccated deep Michigan basin: Ontario Petroleum Inst., 13th Ann. Conf. Proc., Paper 13, 25 p.
NURMI, RD., 1975, Stratigraphy and Sedimentology of the Lower Salina Group (Upper Silurian) in the Michigan basin: Unpubl. Ph.D. Dissert.,Rensselaer Polytech. Inst., Troy, NY, 260 p.
POHLY, R.A., 1968, Seek reefs with gravity work: World Oil, April 1968, p. 81–93.
ROEHL, P.O., 1967, Stony Mountain (Ordovician) and Interlake (Silurian) facies analogs of Recent low energy marine and subaerial carbonates, Bahamas: Amer. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull., v. 51, no. 10, p. 1979–2032.
WALTER, M.R., ed., 1976, Stromatolites: Elsevier Scientific Publ. Co., Amsterdam, 790 p.
WILSON, J.L., 1975, Carbonate Facies in Geologic History: Springer Verlag, Berlin, 471 p.
WINDER, L.G., 1968, Carbonate diagenesis by burrowing organisms: 22nd Internat. Geol. Congr., v. 8, p. 173–183.
YELLING, W.F., JR., and M.R. TEK, 1976, Prospects for oil and gas from Silurian-Niagaran trend in Michigan: Univ. Michigan Inst. Sci. and Technology, 35 p.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study is dedicated to memory of Professor Louis I. Briggs, my teacher and friend, whose untimely death in May 1979 deprived us all of a prominent scholar and sedimentologist.
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1985 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Gill, D. (1985). Depositional Facies of Middle Silurian (Niagaran) Pinnacle Reefs, Belle River Mills Gas Field, Michigan Basin, Southeastern Michigan. In: Roehl, P.O., Choquette, P.W. (eds) Carbonate Petroleum Reservoirs. Casebooks in Earth Sciences. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-5040-1_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-5040-1_8
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9536-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-5040-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive