The world famous stratigraphy in the Cretaceous Foreland Basin of the North American Rockies has been producing commercial quantities of oil and gas for 150 years and will likely still be targeted by explorers 150 years from now. There are few better places for a geologist to work with beautiful exposures of important reservoir rocks often only miles from locations where the same rocks are being targeted by the drill bit. Many geologists find themselves visiting the area to do field work and staying for vacation. This talk addresses basin classification, the origin of the Cretaceous Foreland Basin and explores stratigraphic trends common to this type of basin. We then will discuss petroleum systems contained within the greater basin and what controls prospectivity, finishing up with an example of a developing exploration play.
The world famous stratigraphy in the Cretaceous Foreland Basin of the North American Rockies has been producing commercial quantities of oil and gas for 150 years and will likely still be targeted by explorers 150 years from now. There are few better places for a geologist to work with beautiful exposures of important reservoir rocks often only miles from locations where the same rocks are being targeted by the drill bit. Many geologists find themselves visiting the area to do field work and staying for vacation. This talk addresses basin classification, the origin of the Cretaceous Foreland Basin and explores stratigraphic trends common to this type of basin. We then will discuss petroleum systems contained within the greater basin and what controls prospectivity, finishing up with an example of a developing exploration play.