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Chapter E, Copper River–Chugach Fossil Fuel and Geothermal Energy Sources for Local Use in Alaska to good porosity, zeolite cements (particularly laumontite) have locally degraded reservoir quality to the extent that sands have permeabilities less than 0.01 millidarcy. Potential source rocks in the lower part of the Kulthieth Formation consist of gas-prone shallow marine deltaic to basinal marine sediments (Plafker and others, 1994) that could act as an intra-formational source. Local fractures have been observed in thin sections of the Kulthieth Formation (ARCO White Lake #1) and may signal the existence of a more regionally extensive fracture system necessary for an effective unconventional, fractured reservoir. The ARCO OCS Y-0211 (Yakutat No. 1) well encountered significant oil and gas shows in the Kulthieth sandstones. Shale gas. One of the primary requirements for shale gas is an organic-rich source rock present in the thermogenic gas window that is sufficiently brittle to host a natural fracture system (see Chapter A). Data from the Copper River basin are sparse, but the scarcity of significant hydrocarbon shows in exploration wells suggest that significant quantities of thermogenic hydrocarbons may never have been generated. However, important aspects of the subsurface of this basin remain unknown. In the Katalla area of the Gulf of Alaska, basin shales of the Poul Creek and Kulthieth Formations are potential source rocks for both oil and gas. Furthermore, most of the observed seeps in the region are believed to be intraformational, indicating that naturally fractured source rocks were capable of generating and storing hydrocarbons. Gas hydrates. The main occurrences of gas hydrates in nature are in modern marine sediments and in arctic regions with well developed, continuous permafrost. Permafrost is not well developed in the Copper River–Chugach Energy Region, and where locally present is discontinuous. Consequently, the potential is low for economic concentrations of gas hydrates. Geothermal resource potential Geothermal prospectivity in the Copper River–Chugach Energy Region is limited to the immediate vicinity of Glennallen and western portions of the Wrangell Mountains. Three occurrences of thermal spring temperatures above 60°F (16°C) have been measured in the region. By comparison, 12 occurrences of thermal springs with temperatures above 165°F (74°C) have been measured in the Aleutian region and three occurrences above 165°F (74°C) have been measured in the Southeast region (Motyka and others, 1983). Two groups of mud volcanoes are located near Glennallen. The Klawasi group, east of Glennallen, has slightly warmer waters and considerably more carbon dioxide gas than the Tolsona group west of Glennallen (Motyka and others, 1983). Both groups discharge highly saline waters thought to originate from a zone of overpressured Cretaceous-age marine sedimentary rocks underlying the Copper River basin (Motyka and others, 1983; Motyka and others, 1986). The proximity of the Klawasi group to the Quaternary volcanoes in the western Wrangell Mountains has led to speculation that a geothermal resource underlies the mud volcanoes and acts as the source of the measured carbon dioxide gas (Motyka and others, 1983). The source of the methane measured in the Tolsona group, and to a lesser extent in the Klawasi group, is likely coal beds in the Cretaceous formations underlying the basin; however, the particularly heavy isotopic signatures for the methane gas at the Klawasi mud volcanoes infers a mantle component, suggesting a potential geothermal source (Motyka and others, 1986). Geothermometers applied to the Klawasi spring waters are inconclusive, with some suggesting a cold-water source and others indicating temperatures higher than 302°F (150°C) (Motyka and others, 1983). The Copper River–Chugach region contains one fumarolic field near the north summit crater of Mount Wrangell with measured temperatures as high as 187°F (86°C) (Motyka and others, 1983). When considered as a whole, the Copper River–Chugach Energy Region contains only a limited number of geothermal manifestations, all of which are inside the Wrangell–Saint Elias National Park and Preserve boundary. Of the three thermal springs in the region, none are at surface temperatures >100°F (38°C). RECOMMENDATIONS Unconventional oil and gas resource recommendations Coalbed methane. Due to the limited areal extent and structural complexity of the Bering River coal field, the volume of accessible coal does not appear sufficient to produce commercial quantities of coalbed methane. Available data from the Copper River basin area suggest most coals are thin and insufficiently mature to serve as viable coalbed methane reservoirs. However, these coals are poorly understood and may warrant additional reconnaissance geologic investigation prior to discounting their potential completely. Tight gas sands. Available data suggest that Mesozoic sandstones in the Copper River region may possess either matrix or fractured reservoir quality sufficient to host a tight gas accumulations. Similarly, Eocene-age sandstones in the Gulf of Alaska region may have local potential as an unconventional reservoir. This type of resource play has not been targeted in this frontier region, and more geologic data would be required to reduce exploration risk. Development of tight gas sandstones in this setting typically requires a high density of wells and artificial stimulation, both of which add significantly to exploration and development costs, challenging economic viability. Shale gas. Insufficient data are available to reliably assess the potential for shale gas in the deeper parts of the Copper River basin. However, available information suggests that few, if any, source rocks have reached the thermogenic gas window. Subsurface data on source rock quality and maturity would be required to further evaluate Copper River–Chugach Page 48PDF Image | FOSSIL FUEL AND GEOTHERMAL ENERGY SOURCES FOR LOCAL USE
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