Abstract
Barrier island depositional systems are particularly challenging as exploration and development objectives because they span a very wide range of sizes and shapes depending on their tectonic setting and temporal position within a sea-level cycle. Sands in a barriered shoreline commonly grade along depositional strike into wave-dominated, sandy deltas and strand plains. Where rates of subsidence and sediment supply are high, such as on passive margins or on the thrustbelt sides of foreland basins for example, relative sea-level rise is accompanied by rapid shoreline aggradation, which results in thick, multistoried sand bodies with uniform strike orientations. Regional sandstone/shale ratios are often so high in these stacked intervals that trap integrity requires structural closure. Where subsidence rates are relatively low and the result is a single-story regressive sequence, preservation of even one entire barrier island can provide enough reservoir for a giant hydrocarbon accumulation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
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
Barwis, J.H., 1978, Sedimentology of some South Carolina tidal creek point bars, and a comparison with their fluvial counterparts, in Miall, A.D., ed., Fluvial Sedimentology: Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists Memoir 5, p. 129–160.
Barwis, J.H., and Hayes, M.O., 1978, Regional patterns of modern barrier island and tidal inlet deposits as applied to paleoenvironmental studies, in Ferm, J.C. and Home, J.C., eds., Carboniferous Depositional Environments in the Appalachian Region: Dept. Geology, University of South Carolina, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Field Course Guidebook, p. 472–498.
Brown, D.L., 1978, Wrench-style deformation patterns associated with a meridional stress axis recognized in Paleozoic rocks in parts of Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming, in Williston Basin Symposium: Montana Geological Society, 24th Annual Conference, p. 17–34.
Clement, J.H., 1986, Cedar Creek: A significant paleotectonic feature of the Williston Basin, in J.A. Peterson, ed., Paleotectonics and Sedimentation in the Rocky Mountain Region, United States: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir 41, p. 213–240.
Dow, W.G., 1974, Application of oil-correlation and source rock data to exploration in Williston Basin: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 58, p. 1253–1262.
Foster, D.I., 1956, N.W. Sumatra Field (Montana), in Judith Mountains-Central Montana: Billings Geological Society, 7th Annual Field Conference Guidebook, p. 116–123.
Gerhard, L.C., Anderson, S.B., LeFever, J.A., and Carlson, C.S., 1982, Geological development, origin, and energy mineral resources of Williston Basin, North Dakota: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 66, p. 989–1020.
Grenda, J.C., 1977, Paleozoology of cores from the Tyler Formation (Pennsylvanian) in North Dakota, U.S.A. [Ph.D. thesis]: Grand Forks, North Dakota, University of North Dakota, 338 p.
Israel, A.M., Ethridge, F.G., and Estes, E.L., 1987, A sedimentologic description of a microtidal, flood-tidal delta, San Luis Pass, Texas: Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, v. 57, p. 288–300.
Kluth, CF., and Coney, P.J., 1981, Plate tectonics of the ancestral Rocky Mountains: Geology, v. 9, p. 10–15.
Land, C.B., 1976, Stratigraphy and petroleum accumulation, Tyler sandstones (Pennsylvanian), Dickinson area, North Dakota (abst.): American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 60, p. 1401–1402.
Land, C.B., 1979, Tyler sandstones (Pennsylvanian), Dickinson area, North Dakota—a 24 million barrel soilzone stratigraphic trap (abs): American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 63, p. 485.
Maughan, E.K., 1975, Montana, North Dakota, northeastern Wyoming, and northern South Dakota, in McKee, E.D. and Crosby, E.J., eds., Paleotectonic Investigations of the Pennsylvanian System in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 853, Part I, p. 279–293.
Maughan, E.K., 1984, Paleogeographic setting of Pennsylvanian Tyler Formation and relation to underlying Mississippian rocks in Montana and North Dakota: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 68, p. 178–195.
Meissner, F.J., Woodward, J., and Clayton, J.L., 1984, Stratigraphic relationships and distribution of source rocks in the greater Rocky Mountain region, in Woodward, J., Meissner, F.J., and Clayton, J.L., eds., Hydrocarbon Source Rocks of the Greater Rocky Mountain Region: Denver, Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists, p. 1–30.
Peterson, J.A., 1981, General stratigraphy and regional paleostructure of the western Montana overthrust belt, in Tucker, T.E., ed., Field Conference and Symposium Guidebook, Southwest Montana: Montana Geological Society, p. 5–35.
Roberts, A.E., 1979, Northern Rocky Mountains and adjacent plains regions, in McKee, E.D. and Crosby, E.J., eds., Paleotectonic Investigations of the Mississippian System in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1010, p. I-221–I-247.
Rose, P.R., 1976, Mississippian carbonate shelf margins, western United States: U.S. Geological Survey Journal of Research, v. 4, p. 449–466.
Ross, C.A. and Ross, J.R.P., 1987, Late Paleozoic sea levels and depositional sequences, in Ross, C.A. and Haman, D., eds., Timing and Depositional History of Eustatic Sequences: Constraints on Seismic Stratigraphy: Cushman Foundation for Foraminiferal Research, Special Publication 24, p. 137–149.
Ross, C.A. and Ross, J.R.P., 1988, Late Paleozoic transgressive-regressive deposition, in Wilgus, C.K., Hastings, B.S., Ross, C.A., Posamentier, H., Van Wagoner, J., and Kendall, C.G.St.C., eds., Sea-Level Changes: An Integrated Approach: Society of Economic Paleontologists Mineralogists Special Publication 42, p. 227–248.
Roux, W.F., Jr., and Schindler, S.F., 1973, Late Mississippian cyclothems of the Heath Formation, western North Dakota (abst.): American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 57, p. 961.
Sloss, L.L., 1950, Paleozoic sedimentation in Montana area: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 34, p.423–451.
Smith, D.L., and Gilmour, E.H., 1979, The Mississippian and Pennsylvanian (Carboniferous) Systems in the United States-Montana, in McKee, E.D. and Crosby, E.J., eds., The Mississippian and Pennsylvanian (Carboniferous) Systems in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1110-X, p. X1–X32.
Sturm, S.D., 1983, Depositional environments and sandstone diagenesis in the Tyler Formation (Pennsylvanian), southwestern North Dakota: North Dakota Geological Survey, Report of Investigations 76, 48 p.
Sturm, S.D., 1987, Depositional history and cyclicity in the Tyler Formation (Pennsylvanian), Southwestern North Dakota, in Longman, M. W, ed., Williston Basin: Anatomy of a Cratonic Oil Province: Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists, p. 209–221.
Thomas, G.E., 1974, Lineament-block tectonics: Williston-Blood Creek Basin: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 58, p. 1305–1322.
Williams, J.A., 1974, Characterization of oil types in Williston Basin: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 58, p. 1243–1252.
Williams, L.A., 1983, Deposition of the Bear Gulch Limestone: A Carboniferous plattenkalk from central Montana: Sedimentology, v. 30, p. 843–860.
Willis, R.P., 1959, Upper Mississippian-Lower Pennsylvanian stratigraphy of central Montana and Williston Basin: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 43, p. 1949–1966.
Ziebarth, H.C., 1962, The Micropaleontology and Stratigraphy of the Subsurface Heath Formation (Mississippian-Pennsylvanian) of Western ‘North Dakota [M.S. thesis]: Grand Forks, North Dakota, University of North Dakota, 145 p.
Ziebarth, H.C., 1972, The Stratigraphy and Economic Potential of Permo-Pennsylvanian Strata in Southwestern North Dakota [Ph.D. thesis]: Grand Forks, North Dakota, University of North Dakota, 414 p.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1990 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Barwis, J.H. (1990). Flood-Tidal Delta Reservoirs, Medora-Dickinson Trend, North Dakota. In: Barwis, J.H., McPherson, J.G., Studlick, J.R.J. (eds) Sandstone Petroleum Reservoirs. Casebooks in Earth Sciences. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8988-0_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8988-0_17
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-8990-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-8988-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive