From Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin (www.beg.utexas.edu).
For more information, please contact the author.

Bureau Seminar, January 23, 2009

The Monterey Formation of California: unconventional reservoir in an active tectonic setting

Peter Eichhubl
Bureau of Economic Geology

The Monterey Formation is an unconventional reservoir in many ways: It is both source and reservoir comprised of a heterogeneous lithology that includes siliceous mudrocks, carbonates, and phosphatic organic-rich shales. This sequence underwent a complex burial diagenetic evolution, and an equally complex structural history that reflects the tectonic evolution of the Pacific-North American plate boundary. While shallow Monterey reservoirs are hydraulically stimulated, production from deeper reservoirs depends on the availability of natural fractures. This talk will provide an overview over coastal Monterey reservoirs and their structural and diagenetic evolution, highlighting the significance of fault and fracture systems on fluid migration and reservoir connectivity.