New Mexico Geological Society Annual Spring Meeting — Abstracts

Ninety-four (94) years of oil and gas exploration has taken place in the Santa Fe Embayment of the Espanola Basin. The last 34 years of this exploration has documented the contrasting effects of Laramide compression and later Tertiary extensional tectonics in the southern portions of the area.

As many as three separate thrust plates have been drilled in the area. The well control combined with the available seismic lines demonstrates the presents of both pre rift thrusting and expected later normal faulting associated with the opening of the Rio Grande Rift. Possible flower structures associated with lateral movements along the Northeast extension of the Tijeras shear in this area are also possible.

In 1985, the first oil production from the Rio Grande Rift was marketed from the Santa Fe Embayment. It would be 26 years before this sub - economic discovery (at $8.00 a barrel) would eventually prove to be an economic success (at $50+ a barrel). The re-completion of this well and the solving of the subsurface geologic story are more than three and a half decades in the making. A recent 6 - month moratorium declared by the Governor on oil and gas drilling in Santa Fe County will slow, or perhaps even terminate, our continuing ability to learn the details of the subsurface geology of this unique area.

The commercially successful Tecton Black - Ferrill #1, and subsequent activities, has began to open a new oil and gas province in the Rio Grande Rift. The recent exploration activities and production of high gravity oil suggests that million-barrel oil accumulations are potentially present within the downthrown areas of the rift.

Abundant source rock, a favorable history of maturity and extensive reservoir systems are present in the Cretaceous rocks of the Santa Fe Embayment. Structural and stratigraphic complexities will account for a portion of the trapped oil and gas, and fractured Niobrara shale has large potential for oil and gas production over numerous sections in the southern part of the Espanola Basin.