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Assessment of Undiscovered Oil Resources in the Devonian-Mississippian Bakken
Shale Formation, Williston Basin Province, Montana and North Dakota, 2008
Advertising This article is republished from a USGS Oil and Gas Fact Sheet - April, 2008
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Abstract
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S.
Geological Survey estimated mean undiscovered volumes of
3.65 billion barrels of oil, 1.85 trillion cubic feet of
associated/dissolved natural gas, and 148 million barrels of
natural gas liquids in the Bakken Shale Formation of the
Williston Basin Province, Montana and North Dakota.
Introduction
The U.S. Geological Survey
Bakken Formation: (USGS) completed an
Videos, News, Maps, assessment of the
and Information undiscovered oil and
associated gas resources of
the Upper Devonian–Lower
Mississippian Bakken Formation in the U.S. portion of the
Williston Basin of Montana and North Dakota and within the
Williston Basin Province (Figure 1). The assessment is based Map of the Bakken Formation oil and gas play. The Bakken is below parts of northwestern
on geologic elements of a total petroleum system (TPS) that North Dakota, northeastern Montana, southern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba.
include: (1) source-rock distribution, thickness, organic
richness, maturation, petroleum generation, and migration; (2)
reservoir-rock type (conventional or continuous), distribution,
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and quality; and (3) character of traps and time of formation with
respect to petroleum generation and migration. Detailed North Dakota
framework studies in stratigraphy and structural geology and the Bakken Oil Map
modeling of petroleum geochemistry, combined with historical Bakken Drilling
exploration and production analyses, were used to aid in the
Formation
estimation of the undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and
associated gas resources of the Bakken Formation in the United
States. Using this framework, the USGS defined a Bakken-
Lodgepole TPS (fig. 1) and seven assessment units (AU) within
the TPS. For the Bakken Formation, the undiscovered oil and
associated gas resources within six of these assessment units
were quantitatively estimated (fig. 2, table 1). A conventional AU
within the Lodgepole Formation was not assessed..
Categories
Astronomy
Careers Bakken Shale Formation and Bakken-
Climate Change Lodgepole Total Petroleum System
Diamonds
Earthquakes
The Upper Devonian-Lower Mississippian Bakken Formation is
Energy a thin but widespread unit within the central and deeper portions
Fossils of the Williston Basin in Montana, North Dakota, and the
Gemstones Canadian Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The
Geology Tools formation consists of three members: (1) lower shale member,
Geothermal (2) middle sandstone member, and (3) upper shale member.
Gold Each succeeding member is of greater geographic extent than
Historical Geology the underlying member. Both the upper and lower shale
Hurricanes members are organic-rich marine shale of fairly consistent
Oil production from rocks of the Bakken Formation in North Dakota has been rising rapidly
Igneous Rocks lithology; they are the petroleum source rocks and part of the for the past three years. Data from: North Dakota Geological Survey.
Impact Events continuous reservoir for hydrocarbons produced from the
Landslides Bakken Formation. The middle sandstone member varies in
Metamorphic Rocks thickness, lithology, and petrophysical properties, and local
Meteorites development of matrix porosity enhances oil production in both
Minerals continuous and conventional Bakken reservoirs. Within Using a
Oceanography geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological
Oil and Gas Survey estimated mean undiscovered volumes of 3.65 billion
Plate Tectonics barrels of oil, 1.85 trillion cubic feet of associated/dissolved
Rare Earth Elements natural gas, and 148 million barrels of natural gas liquids in the
Rocks Bakken Formation of the Williston Basin Province, Montana and
Sedimentary Rocks North Dakota.the Bakken-Lodgepole TPS, the upper and lower
Subsidence shale members of the Bakken Formation are also the source for
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Bakken Shale Formation Oil - North Dakota and Montana - USGS http://geology.com/usgs/bakken-formation-oil.shtml
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Table 1. Bakken Formation, Williston Basin Province assessment results. [MMBO, million
barrels of oil. BCFG, billion cubic feet of gas. MMBNGL, million barrels of natural gas
liquids. Results shown are fully risked estimates. F95 represents a 95 percent chance of at
least the amount tabulated; other fractiles are defined similarly. TPS, total petroleum
system; AU, assessment unit]. (click to enlarge)
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Bakken Shale Formation Oil - North Dakota and Montana - USGS http://geology.com/usgs/bakken-formation-oil.shtml
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Bakken Shale Formation Oil - North Dakota and Montana - USGS http://geology.com/usgs/bakken-formation-oil.shtml
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