Marble Falls Formation Fort Worth Basin
Specifically karst in the fort worth basin ellenburger group exhibits strong dip negative curvature low coherence and a shift to lower frequencies.
Marble falls formation fort worth basin. The marble falls sits between the barnett shale and the shallow conventional oil and gas formations that made the fort worth basin one of the largest producing oil and gas. The marble falls formation and its lateral slope to basinal equivalent the smithwick formation were deposited during early pennsylvanian time morrowan atokan about 15 7 ma. In most cases the marble falls was not the primary objective in drilling the well but the zone was completed when the primary. The early pennsylvanian marble falls formation in the fort worth basin fwb of north central texas was deposited in a broad carbonate ramp system during the initial stages of ouachita orogenesis.
Marble falls and smithwick formation carbonates and shales were deposited on the western margin of the slowly subsiding fort worth basin of central texas during early pennsylvanian time. The marble falls of the fort worth basin is a very impure limestone that contains a remarkably large percentage of sand and or conglomerate in addition to shale. Prior to 2010 approximately 2 500 wells were completed in the marble falls formation. The lower marble falls.
On the western edge of the fort worth basin companies like atlas energy partners brigadier oil and gas and newark e p have began to develop the marble falls formation. It s still very early in development. The upper marble falls member carbonate platform back stepped towards the west southwest as smithwick outer shelf slope black shales drowned platform margin areas to the east. Chert probably allochthonous is not uncommon especially in the upper few dozen feet of the formation.
However the marble falls formation lying above the barnett may be the hot new play pumping life back into the fwb. The fort worth basin and bend arch lie entirely within north central texas covering an area of 54 000 square miles 140 000 km 2 the southern and eastern boundaries are defined by county lines that generally follow the ouachita structural front although a substantial portion of this structural feature is included near dallas the north boundary follows the texas oklahoma state line in the. The barnett shale the grandfather of all shale plays might be entering its twilight. The modern marble falls play in the western edge of the fort worth basin is an exciting new unconventional oil and gas play.
The true marble falls of the fort worth basin is a very impure calcareous rock that contains a remarkably large percentage of silica in the form of sponge spicules quartz sand and or.