This massive collection of cores was generously donated to the UCRC by the field operator Resolute Energy Corporation of Denver, Colorado. Resolute and Peter Nielsen, UCRC Curator, worked very hard to permanently preserve the Aneth core collection and make it publicly available for study and education by other oil companies, universities, and research organizations.
This massive collection of cores was generously donated to the UCRC by the field operator Resolute Energy Corporation of Denver, Colorado. Resolute and Peter Nielsen, UCRC Curator, worked very hard to permanently preserve the Aneth core collection and make it publicly available for study and education by other oil companies, universities, and research organizations.
These cores show all the various environments of deposition that existed during Pennsylvanian time in southeastern Utah and the diagenetic changes that have occurred over the millions of years since and how those events affect oil production. Additionally, the rocks in cores indicate sea level fluctuations and cyclicity, important factors in understanding differences in oil production from one well to another and identifying new drilling locations.
The Covenant cores have been used by Wolverine, professors and students from local universities, and the UGS for research to better understand the field and explore for potential new oil resources in the central Utah thrust belt.
This article is the second in a series of articles planned to highlight exceptional examples of the diverse geologic cores available at the Utah Geological Survey’s (UGS) Utah Core Research Center (UCRC) (see Survey Notes, vol. 46, no. 3). As well as being used for research purposes, these cores, obtained through UGS projects and generous industry donations, are used for teaching geology students and training industry professionals, particularly those who search for oil and gas.
The transport of Uinta Basin crude oil by rail to markets outside Utah started significantly in 2013, when a temporary shut-down of a Salt Lake City refinery briefly caused a local glut of oil. Uinta Basin oil producers such as Berry/Linn Petroleum, Crescent Point Energy, Newfield Exploration, and Ultra Petroleum responded by shipping their crude oil out-of-state in coil-heated and insulated tank cars.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE UTAH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) is a division of the Utah Department of Natural Resources. Several specialized programs comprise the UGS: Data Management, Energy & Minerals, Geologic Hazards, Geologic Information & Outreach, Geologic Mapping, Groundwater & Wetlands, and Paleontology.