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U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Niobrara Interval of the Cody Shale and Associated Rocks in the Wind River Basin, Central Wyoming Pamphlet to accompany Scientific Investigations Map 3370

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Page 1: Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Niobrara Interval of ... · A gamma ray and (or) spontaneous potential (SP) log was : used in combination with a resistivity log to identify and

U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Niobrara Interval of the Cody Shale and Associated Rocks in the Wind River Basin, Central Wyoming

Pamphlet to accompanyScientific Investigations Map 3370

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Page 3: Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Niobrara Interval of ... · A gamma ray and (or) spontaneous potential (SP) log was : used in combination with a resistivity log to identify and

Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Niobrara Interval of the Cody Shale and Associated Rocks in the Wind River Basin, Central Wyoming

By Thomas M. Finn

Pamphlet to accompany Scientific Investigations Map 3370

U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

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U.S. Department of the InteriorSALLY JEWELL, Secretary

U.S. Geological SurveySuzette M. Kimball, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2017

For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS.

For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://store.usgs.gov/

Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner.

Suggested citation: Finn, T.M., 2017, Stratigraphic cross sections of the Niobrara interval of the Cody Shale and associated rocks in the Wind River Basin, central Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3370, 19 p., 1 sheet, https://doi.org/10.3133/sim3370.

ISSN 2329-132X (online)

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iii

Sheet

1. Detailed cross sections of Niobrara equivalent strata in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming.................................................................................................................................... link

Figures

1. Map of Rocky Mountain region extending from southern Montana to northern New Mexico showing locations of Laramide sedimentary and structural basins (in brown) and intervening uplifts ....................................................................................................2

2. Index map of the Wind River Basin Province in central Wyoming showing major structural and physiographic features discussed in the text ................................................3

3. Index map of the Wind River Basin showing the cross section lines presented on map sheet .......................................................................................................................................4

4. Type log of Lower and lowermost Upper Cretaceous rocks in the southeastern part of the Wind River Basin .......................................................................................................5

5. Map showing approximate extent of the Western Interior Seaway in North America during late Coniacian (Scaphites depressus Zone) ................................................7

6. Regional east-west stratigraphic cross section of Cretaceous rocks in the Wind River Basin .....................................................................................................................................8

7. Paleogeographic reconstruction of the Rocky Mountain region during late Coniacian (Scaphites depressus Zone) time showing major depositional trends. Wind River Basin Province outlined in red ...............................................................................9

8. Correlation chart showing stratigraphic relations of mid-Cretaceous rocks in the Wind River Basin and correlation with equivalent rocks at various localities in the Powder River Basin and Denver Basin ...................................................................................10

9. Isopach map of the Cody Shale................................................................................................11 10. Isopach map of the lower shaly member of the Cody Shale ...............................................12 11. Isopach map of the upper sandy member of the Cody Shale .............................................13 12. Isopach map of the Niobrara equivalent interval in the lower part of the Cody

Shale .............................................................................................................................................15 13. Isopach map of the Sage Breaks equivalent interval in the lower part of the Cody

Shale .............................................................................................................................................16

Contents

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1Depositional setting .......................................................................................................................................6Stratigraphy ....................................................................................................................................................6

Cody Shale .............................................................................................................................................6Niobrara Interval .................................................................................................................................14Sage Breaks Interval ..........................................................................................................................14

Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................................14References Cited..........................................................................................................................................17

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iv

Conversion Factors

U.S. customary units to International System of Units

Multiply By To obtainLength

inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter (mm)foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

Areasquare mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer (km2)

DatumHorizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).

Altitude, as used in this report, refers to distance above sea level.

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Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Niobrara Interval of the Cody Shale and Associated Rocks in the Wind River Basin, Central Wyoming

By Thomas M. Finn

IntroductionThe Wind River Basin is one of many structural and sedi-

mentary basins that formed in the Rocky Mountain foreland during the Laramide orogeny. The basin is nearly 200 miles (mi) long, 70 mi wide, and encompasses about 7,400 square miles (mi2) in central Wyoming (fig. 1). The basin is bounded by the Washakie Range, Owl Creek uplift, and southern Big-horn Mountains on the north, the Casper arch on the east, the Granite Mountains on the south, and Wind River Range on the west (fig. 2).

The first commercial oil well completed in Wyoming was drilled near an oil seep in 1884 at Dallas dome near the southwestern edge of the Wind River Basin (Biggs and Espach, 1960). Since then many important conventional oil and gas fields producing from reservoirs ranging in age from Mississippian through Tertiary have been discovered in that basin (Keefer, 1969; Fox and Dolton, 1989, 1996; De Bruin, 1993). In addition, an extensive unconventional overpressured basin-centered gas accumulation has been identified in Cretaceous and Tertiary strata in the deeper parts of the basin (Spencer, 1987; Johnson and others, 1996; Jiao and Surdam, 1997; Surdam and others, 1997; Johnson and others, 2007). It has long been suggested that various Upper Cretaceous marine shales, including the Cody Shale, are the principal hydrocarbon source rocks for many of these accumulations (see, for example: Keefer, 1969; Meissner and others, 1984; Fox and Dolton, 1989, 1996; Johnson and Rice, 1993; Nuccio and others, 1996; Schelling and Wavrek, 1999, 2001; and Finn, 2007a). With recent advances and success in horizontal drilling and multistage fracture stimulation, there has been an increase in exploration and completion of wells in these marine shales in other Rocky Mountain Laramide basins that were traditionally thought of only as hydrocarbon source rocks (Colorado Geological Survey, 2011; Sonnenberg, 2011; Williams and Lyle, 2011).

The stratigraphic cross sections presented in this report were constructed as part of a project carried out by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to characterize and evaluate the undiscovered continuous (unconventional) oil and gas resources of the Niobrara interval of the Upper Cretaceous

Cody Shale in the Wind River Basin in central Wyoming. The primary purpose of the cross sections is to show the stratigraphic relationship of the Niobrara equivalent strata and associated rocks in the lower part of the Cody Shale in the Wind River Basin.

Two cross sections were constructed using borehole geo-physical logs from 37 wells drilled for oil and gas exploration and production, and one surface section measured by Keefer and Troyer (1964) along East Sheep Creek near Shotgun Butte in the northwestern part of the basin (figs. 2, 3, and map sheet). Both lines originate at the East Sheep Creek surface section and end near Clarkson Hill in the extreme southeastern part of the basin. The northern line extends from the Shotgun Butte area east along the northern margin of the basin to the Madden anticline, then southeast to Tepee Flats and Hells Half Acre, then along the southwest margin of the Casper arch to Clarkson Hill (figs. 2, 3, and map sheet). The southern line extends from the Shotgun Butte area south then east to Alkali Butte and along the southern margin of the basin to the Coalbank Hills, then southeast along the northeast flank of the Rattlesnake Hills to Clarkson Hill (figs. 2, 3, and map sheet). The stratigraphic interval extends from the upper part of the Frontier Formation to the middle part of the Cody Shale. The datum is the base of the “chalk kick” marker bed, a distinctive resistivity peak or zone in the lower part of the Cody Shale. This datum was selected because it is easily identified on most well logs and is present throughout the basin (fig. 4, map sheet).

A gamma ray and (or) spontaneous potential (SP) log was used in combination with a resistivity log to identify and cor-relate units. Gamma ray and SP logs are typically used to dif-ferentiate between sandstone and shale; however, in the Wind River Basin the spontaneous potential response is subdued in some sandstone intervals showing little curve deflection. In areas of greater drilling density, logs from wells located between control wells on the cross sections were used to aid in making correlations. Marine molluscan index fossils collected from nearby outcrop sections were projected into the subsur-face to help determine the relative ages of the strata and aid in correlation. The sources for the fossil data are from Cobban (1951, 1969), Yenne and Pipiringos (1954), Keefer and Troyer (1964), Keefer (1972), Landman and Cobban (2007),

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2 Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Niobrara Interval of the Cody Shale and Associated Rocks, Wind River Basin, WY

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Hartville uplift

GraniteMountainsuplift

Cord

iller

anor

ogen

icbe

lt

Denver

112° 110° 108° 106° 104°

46°

44°

40°

36°

38°

42°

BullMountains

BasinCrazyMountains

Basin

Brid

ger

uplif

t

Powder

RiverBasin

Black Hills uplift

Miles City arch

Teto

nup

lift

Casper archOwl Creek uplift

volcanicfield

ShirleyBasin

Rawlins

upliftSierra M

adre

uplift

HannaBasin

Lara

mie

Basin

Greater GreenRiver Basin

Wind

River

uplift

Basin

North and MiddlePark Basins

Medicine

Bowuplift

ParkRange

uplift

AxialBasin uplift

Uinta BasinWhite

River

uplift

Sawatch uplift South ParkBasin

FrontRange

Uplift

Uinta uplift

San RafaelSwell

Uncompahgreuplift

Gunnisonuplift

San Juanuplift

San

Wind River Basin

Juan

volcanic

field

RatonBasin

Sangrede Cristo

uplift

San Juan

Basin Nacim

iento uplift Sang

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SOU

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Beartoothuplift

Absaroka

Piceance

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Nye-Bowler

Bighorn

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Zuni uplift

rift

(Neo

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Gran

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PryorMountains

Doug

las

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Washakie Range

Base modified from U.S. Geological Survey digital, 2,000,000Albers Equal-Area Conic projectionStandard parallels 29°30’ and 45°30’, central meridian –108°Latitude of origin 23°North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83)

Thrust or reverse fault— Dashed where approximate

EXPLANATION

0 50

50 100 KILOMETERS0

100 MILES

Figure 1. Map of Rocky Mountain region extending from southern Montana to northern New Mexico showing locations of Laramide sedimentary and structural basins (in brown) and intervening uplifts. Modified from Dickinson and others (1988).

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Introduction

3

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5,000Tertiary volcanic rock Wind River Basin Province boundary

Chalk Kick contour—Contour interval 5,000 feet. S.L. is sea levelThrust fault—Sawteeth on

upper plateNormal fault—Ball and bar on downthrown block

High-angle faultEXPLANATION

Frontier Formation outcrop

Precambrian rock

Wind River Basin Province

Anticline—Arrowhead shows direction of plunge

Major structural and physiographic features

Syncline

Clarkson Hill1Rattlesnake Hills2Coalbank Hills3

Conant Creek anticline4Alkali Butte anticline5Dallas dome6

Lander7East Sheep

Tepee Flats

Maddenanticline

8Hells Half Acre9

10

11Type log, Exxon Corp. Poison Springs Unit 1

-15,000

-15,000

-15,000

-10,000

-10,000

-5,000

-5,000

-5,000

5,000

5,000

5,000

5,000

5,000

5,000

S.L.S.L.

S.L.

S.L.

S.L.

S.L.

S.L.

?

?

5,000

5,000

S.L.

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T1S

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T40N

T35N

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T30N

T5N

T.40N.

T.45N.

T.45N.

R. 80 W.R. 85 W.R. 90 W.R. 95 W.R. 100 W.R. 105 W.R. 110 W.

R 110 W

R 105 W

R 105 W

R 90 W R 85 W

R 80 WR 100 W

R 100 W

R 95 W

R 95 W

R 1 W

R 1 W

R 5 W

R 5 W

R 1 E

R 1 E

R 5 E

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T.30N.

T.35N.

WashakieRange

Wind

River

Range

Mountains

Creek

Owl

Bigh

orn

Mou

ntai

ns

Casper

arch

GraniteMountains

Absaroka

Range

Wind River BasinProvince

WYOMING

0 40 MILES10 20 30

0 40 KILOMETERS10 20 30

Base from Bureau ofLand Managementdigital data, 2016Lambert ConformalConic projectionStandard parallels 33° and 45°Central meridian –108°Latitude of origin 39°North American Datum of 1983(NAD83)

43°

110° 109° 30' 108° 107°

43°30'

42°30'

30' 30' 106°30'

8

21

6

5

11

3

47

9

10

Figure 2. Index map of the Wind River Basin Province in central Wyoming showing major structural and physiographic features discussed in the text: (1) Clarkson Hill, (2) Rattlesnake Hills, (3) Coalbank Hills, (4) Conant Creek anticline, (5) Alkali Butte anticline, (6) Dallas dome, (7) Lander, (8) East Sheep Creek/Shotgun Butte, (9) Hells Half Acre, (10) Teepee Flats gas field, and (11) Madden anticline. Structure contours are drawn at base of the “chalk kick” marker bed. Contour interval is 5,000 feet. S.L., sea level.

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4

Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Niobrara Interval of the Cody Shale and Associated Rocks, W

ind River Basin, WY

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T5N

T1NT1S

T1S

T1N

T40N

T35N

T35N

T45N

T40N

T30N

T5N

T.40N.

T.45N.

R. 80 W.R. 85 W.R. 90 W.R. 95 W.R. 100 W.R. 105 W.R. 110 W.

R 110 W

R 105 W

R 105 W

R 90 W R 85 W

R 80 WR 100 W

R 100 W

R 95 W

R 95 W

R 1 W

R 1 W

R 5 W

R 5 W

R 1 E

R 1 E

R 5 E

R 5 E

T.30N.

T.35N.

Washakie

Wind

River

Range

Mountains

Creek

Owl

Bigh

orn

Mou

ntai

ns

Casper

arch

GraniteMountains

Range

North

line

lineSouth

43°

110° 109° 30' 108° 107°

43°30'

42°30'

30' 30' 106°30'

Base from Bureau of Land Management digital data, 2016Lambert Conformal Conic projectionStandard parallels 33° and 45°, Central meridian –108°Latitude of origin 39°North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83)

Wind River BasinProvince

WYOMING

0 40 MILES10 20 30

0 40 KILOMETERS10 20 30

Wind River Basin Province boundary

Well control point

East Sheep Creek surface section

EXPLANATIONCody Shale outcrop

Precambrian rock

Wind River Basin Province

Figure 3. Index map of the Wind River Basin showing the cross section lines presented on map sheet.

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Introduction 5

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10,000

10,500

11,000

11,500

12,000

12,500

13,000

"chalk kickmarker"

Clay Spur Bentonite

Uppe

r Cre

tace

ous

(par

t)

Muddy Sandstone

Thermopolis Shale

MowryShale

FrontierFormation

Cody

Sha

le (p

art)

Low

er s

haly

mem

ber

Upper sandymember

(part)

SageBreaks

equivalent

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rmat

ion

equi

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nt

Cloverly Formation

Low

erCr

etac

eous

?

Exxon Corporation Poison Springs Unit 1section 33, T. 32 N., R. 83 W.

GR

Res.

GR

Res.

EXPLANATION

Interbedded marine sandstone and shale

Marine and marginal marine sandstone and siltstone

Marine shale

Calcareous marine shale and marl

Siliceous marine shale

Estuarine and fluvial sandstone

Resistivity

Gamma ray

Sandstone and conglomerate of fluvial origin

Figure 4. Type log of Lower and lowermost Upper Cretaceous rocks in the southeastern part of the Wind River Basin. GR, gamma ray log; Res., resistivity log. Location shown in figure 2.

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6 Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Niobrara Interval of the Cody Shale and Associated Rocks, Wind River Basin, WY

Merewether and Cobban (2007), and from files at the USGS fossil collection in Denver, Colorado (K.C. McKinney, USGS, written commun., 2015). For both sections the horizontal scale is about 1 in=5.75 mi and the vertical scale is about 1 in=500 ft (map sheet).

Depositional settingDuring much of Late Cretaceous time, the part of Wyo-

ming that is now the Wind River Basin was located near the west edge of the Rocky Mountain foreland basin, an elongate north-south structural depression that developed to the east of the tectonically active Western Cordilleran highlands prior to the Laramide orogeny (figs. 1 and 5). Throughout much of its history, the foreland basin was flooded by a broad epiconti-nental sea, referred to as the Western Interior Seaway (WIS) that developed in response to foreland basin subsidence and eustatic sea-level rise (Steidtmann, 1993). At its maximum extent, the WIS extended for more than 3,000 mi from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico (fig. 5) (Kauffman, 1977). Erosion of the Western Cordilleran highlands supplied sediment to the basin by eastward-flowing streams; whereas, the eastern shore of the WIS was part of the stable craton that was topographically low and supplied little sediment (Molenaar and Rice, 1988). During much of Late Cretaceous time, sediments accumulated in or adjacent to the WIS as the western shoreline repeatedly advanced and retreated across the western part of the basin resulting in a complex pattern of intertonguing marine and nonmarine deposits (fig. 6). Marginal marine and nonmarine deposits are repre-sented by eastward-thinning wedges of marginal marine and nonmarine sandstone, siltstone, shale, carbonaceous shale, and coal. The marine deposits are represented by westward-thinning tongues of marine shale, siltstone, and marine sandstone (fig. 6). The marine sediments were deposited during widespread marine transgressions creating highstand conditions as the seaway deepened, limiting clastic input, and at times forming anoxic bottom conditions favorable for the preservation of organic matter (Gries and others, 1992). In addition, these transgressions produced two widespread episodes of carbonate deposition in the WIS: the first resulted in the deposition of the Upper Cretaceous Greenhorn Forma-tion, and the second resulted in the deposition of the Upper Cretaceous Niobrara Formation (Longman and others, 1998; Sonnenberg, 2011). The Niobrara interval is characterized by deposition of chalks and marls composed of foraminifers and coccolith debris that accumulated in the sediment-starved eastern part of the seaway (Longman and others, 1998; Sonnenberg, 2011). The chalks grade westward into more siliciclastic beds that were derived from the eroding highlands to the west, diluting the carbonate sediments (Longman and others, 1998; Sonnenberg, 2011) (fig. 7). In the Wind River Basin, the Niobrara equivalent rocks are represented by shales, calcareous shales, marls, siltstones, and sandstones in the lower shaly member of the Cody Shale (fig. 6).

StratigraphyFigure 8 is a correlation diagram showing the strati-

graphic nomenclature for the Cody Shale and associated rocks in the Wind River Basin and correlative units at various localities in the Powder River Basin and Denver Basin to the east and southeast, respectively. The Wind River Basin nomenclature is modified from Keefer (1972), and Finn (2007b), the western Powder River Basin nomenclature is modified from Merewether (1996), the northwest Black Hills and Pueblo, Colo. (Denver Basin) nomenclature is modi-fied from Merewether and others (2011). The stratigraphic relationships and nomenclature for the Wind River Basin are also illustrated on the regional stratigraphic cross section in figure 6.

Cody Shale

The Cody Shale consists of shales, calcareous shales, marls, bentonites, siltstones, and sandstones, with the amount of sandstone and siltstone increasing in the upper part (Keefer, 1972). The main body of the Cody Shale was deposited during a second-order transgressive-regressive cycle referred to as the “Niobrara Cyclothem” by Kauffman (1977), and ranges in age from latest Turonian to early Campanian. The upper-most Cody, of middle Campanian age, was deposited during a subsequent transgressive-regressive cycle that Kauffman (1977) referred to as the Claggett cycle (fig. 8). The lower and upper contacts of the Cody Shale are conformable and inter-finger extensively with the underlying Frontier and overlying Mesaverde Formations (fig. 6).

The Cody Shale is about 3,500 feet (ft) thick in the north-western part of the basin increasing to more than 5,500 ft in the eastern part (fig. 9). The eastward thickening is due to the east-ward stratigraphic rise and intertonguing of the contact between the Cody Shale and the overlying Mesaverde Formation, and the west to northwest backstepping nature of the Frontier/Cody contact (fig. 6). Four members are generally recognized, in ascending order: (1) the lower shaly member (Thompson and White, 1954; Yenne and Pipiringos, 1954; Keefer and Troyer, 1964), (2) the upper sandy member (Thompson and White, 1954; Yenne and Pipiringos, 1954; Keefer and Troyer, 1964), (3) the informally named “Conant Creek tongue” (Szmajter, 1993), and (4) the Wallace Creek Tongue (Barwin, 1961) (figs. 6 and 8). The age of the Cody ranges from latest Turonian to middle Campanian (Keefer, 1972).

The unnamed lower shaly member, which is in part equivalent to the Niobrara Formation (or Member) in the Powder River Basin to the east (figs. 6, 8, and map sheet), reaches a maximum thickness greater than 3,500 ft in the southeastern part of the basin and thins to the northwest to about 1,100 ft (fig. 10). It is composed of gray to black shale, calcareous shale, marl, and bentonite, with minor amounts of siltstone and sandstone that were deposited in an offshore marine environment. The lower shaly member ranges in age from latest Turonian to middle Campanian.

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Stratigraphy 7

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Studyarea

ALASKAGREENLAND

CORDILLERA

WESTERN

CANADA

UNITED STATES

MEXICO

ARCTIC OCEAN

GULF OF MEXICO

ATLANTIC OCEAN

PACIFIC OCEAN

WESTERN

INTERIOR SEAW

AY

Figure 5. Map showing approximate extent of the Western Interior Seaway in North America during late Coniacian (Scaphites depressus Zone). Modified from Cobban and others (2005).

The upper sandy member is generally around 2,000 ft thick in the western part of the basin and increases to greater than 3,500 ft in the south-central and east-central parts of the basin (fig. 11). It thins to less than 1,000 ft in the southeastern part of the basin where it grades into the lower shaly member (figs. 6, 11, and map sheet). The upper sandy member consists of light to medium gray sandstones and tan and gray shales. Dunleavy and Gilbertson (1986) referred to sandstones in the upper part of the member in the northern part of the basin as

the “Sussex” and “Shannon” sandstone beds, which, according to them (p. 115) were deposited “as a near-shore bar complex along the edge of a delta.” Like sandstones in the underlying Frontier Formation, many individual sandstones in the upper part of the Cody are continuous for tens of miles before pinch-ing out into marine shale. The upper sandy member becomes less distinct in the southeastern part of the basin, where it grades laterally into more shaly facies (fig. 6, and map sheet) (Finn, 2007b).

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8

Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Niobrara Interval of the Cody Shale and Associated Rocks, W

ind River Basin, WY

Figure 6. Regional east-west stratigraphic cross section of Cretaceous rocks in the Wind River Basin. Modified from Finn (2007b).

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SOUTHEASTNORTHWESTCoalbank

Hills

RattlesnakeHillsCastle

GardensAlkaliButte

ShotgunButte

Meeteetse Formation

Lance Formation (part)

Meeteetse Formation Tertiary

Mesaverde Formation

Teapot Sandstone Member

Unnamed middlemember

Cody Shale

Basal sandstone member

Lance Formation (part)

Frontier Formation

Lower shaly member

Lower shaly member

Muddy Sandstone

Cloverly Formation

Jurassic rocks undivided(part)

"chalk kick"

Thermopolis Shale

“Sage Breaks equivalent”

Mowry Shale

“Niobrara equivalent”

Fales Sandstone Member

Upper sandy member

Upper sandy member

Unnamed middle member Parkman Sandstone Member

Wallace Creek Tongue

Frontier Formation

“Niobrara equivalent”

Muddy Sandstone

Conant Creek tongueAlkali Butte member

“Sussex sands”

“Shannon sands”

Lewis Shale, upper tongue

Lewis Shale, lower tongue

Uppe

r Cre

tace

ous

(par

t)

LowerCretaceous

? ?

Uppe

r Cre

tace

ous

(par

t)

LowerCretaceous

Jurassic

? ?

Scaphites ventricosusInoceramus deformis

Scaphites depressus

Scaphites depressus

Scaphites leeiDesmoscaphites bassleri

Clioscaphites vermiformis

Scaphites hippocrepis I Scaphites hippocrepis I

Scaphites hippocrepis I

Clioscaphites choteauensis

Scaphites preventricocus Inoceramus deformis

Plesiacanthoceras wyomingense

Scaphites depressus

Scaphites depressus

Baculites sp. (smooth)

Baculites sp. (smooth)

Baculites sp. (weak flank ribs)

Scaphites hippocrepis (late form)

Inoceramus deformis

Baculites gilberti

Baculites asperiformisBaculites obtusus

Baculites mclearni

Baculites perplexus

Baculites clinolobatus

Baculites eliasiBaculites eliasi

Inoceramus subcompressus

Baculites perplexus

Baculites obtusus

Inoceramus erectus

Plesiacanthoceras wyomingense

Scaphites corvensis

Baculites yokoyamai

Baculites eliasi

approximate base of Scaphites hippocrepis I zone

Baculiteseliasi

Estuarine and fluvial sandstone

Predominantly fluvial sandstone

Marine, marginal marine or coastal sandstone or siltstone

Marine shale

Siliceous marine shale in the upper part of the Mowry Shale

Laterally persistent zone within the Cody Shale showing higher gamma-ray intensityInterbedded sandstone and shale, marine

Thin-bedded nonmarine sandstone, siltstone, shale carbonaceous shale and coal deposited in poorly drained coastal environments

Sandstone, siltstone, shale and coal deposited in fluvial channel, floodplain, and lacustrine environments

Sandstone, siltstone, shale, carbonaceous shale, and coal deposited in coastal coastal plain, alluvial plain, coastal swamp, and lagoonal environments

Undifferentiated Tertiary rockUndifferentiated Jurassic rockUnconformity

Marine shale, calcareous shale, sandy shale, silty shale, and marlstone

Approximate position of important guide fossil

EXPLANATION

LOCATION OF CROSS SECTION

NORTHWEST

SOUTHEAST

Crosssection

Wind RiverBasinProvince

1,000

500

01050

1,500FEET500

250

METERS

15 KILOMETERS

15 MILES105

Page 15: Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Niobrara Interval of ... · A gamma ray and (or) spontaneous potential (SP) log was : used in combination with a resistivity log to identify and

Stratigraphy 9

Figure 7. Paleogeographic reconstruction of the Rocky Mountain region during late Coniacian (Scaphites depressus Zone) time showing major depositional trends. Wind River Basin Province outlined in red. Modified from McGookey and others (1972).

\\IGSKAHCMVSFS002\Pubs_Common\Jeff\den16_cmrm00_0048_sim_finn\report_figures\figure_07.ai

Base from Bureau of Land Management digital data, 2016Lambert Conformal Conic projectionStandard parallels 33° and 45°, Central meridian –108°Latitude of origin 39°North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83)

100°104°108°112°116°

32°

36°

40°

44°

48°

CANADA

MEXICO

CodyShale

CodyShale

BaxterShale

MancosShale

NiobraraFormation

NiobraraFormation

INTERIOR

WESTERN

SEAWAY

NORTH DAKOTA

SOUTH DAKOTA

NEBRASKA

KANSASCOLORADO

WYOMING

TEXAS

OKLAHOMA

NEW MEXICO

ARIZONA

UTAHNEVADA

IDAHO

MONTANA

Highlands

Conglomerate

Coastal plain

Coastal sandstone

Limestone

Marine shale

Calcareous shale/marlstone

Wind River Basin Province boundary

EXPLANATION

0

0

100

100

200 MILES

200 KILOMETERS

Page 16: Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Niobrara Interval of ... · A gamma ray and (or) spontaneous potential (SP) log was : used in combination with a resistivity log to identify and

10

Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Niobrara Interval of the Cody Shale and Associated Rocks, W

ind River Basin, WY

Figure 8. Correlation chart showing stratigraphic relations of mid-Cretaceous rocks in the Wind River Basin and correlation with equivalent rocks at various localities in the Powder River Basin and Denver Basin. The diagonal lines represent the Niobrara interval in the Wind River Basin, as defined in this report. Modified from Keefer (1972), Merewether (1996), Finn (2007b), Merewether and others (2011). Radiometric ages and fossil zones are from Cobban and others (2006), and Merewether and McKinney (2015). Sea-level curve is modified from Kauffman and Caldwell (1993).

\\IGSKAHCMVSFS002\Pubs_Common\Jeff\den16_cmrm00_0048_sim_finn\report_figures\figure_08.ai

CRET

ACEO

US (p

art)

UPPE

R CR

ETAC

EOUS

(par

t)

Low

erLo

wer

Low

er

Upper

Uppe

rUp

per

Uppe

rM

iddl

eM

iddl

eM

iddl

e

System Series Stage Sub-stage

Cam

pani

an (p

art)

Sant

onia

n

LowerMiddle

MiddleUpper

Coni

acia

nTu

roni

anCe

nom

ania

n (p

art)

Western Interiorammonite zones

Western Interiorinoceramid zones

Western Wind RiverBasin

Eastern and southeasternWind River Basin

Western PowderRiver Basin

NW Black HillsSouthern and centralWind River Basin

Age (ma)

75.19 ± 0.28

80.58 ± 0.55

81.86 ± 0.36

84.43 ± 0.34

86.3 ± 0.587.14 ± 0.39

88.55 ± 0.59

89.8 ± 0.3

90.21 ± 0.5490.51 ± 0.45

93.48 ± 0.58

93.68 ± 0.5093.99 ± 0.72

94.71 ± 0.49

94.96 ± 0.50

95.73 ± 0.61

93.32 ± 0.3893.82 ± 0.30

83.6 ± 0.2

75.56 ± 0.1175.84 ± 0.26

Upper sandymember

Upper sandymember

Uppersandy

member

MesaverdeFormation

(part)

MesaverdeFormation

(part)

MesaverdeFormation

(part)

Niobrara MemberNiobraraintervalNiobrara

intervalNiobrarainterval Niobrara Formation

Niobrara Formation(part)

Niobrara Formation(part)

Niobrara Formation (part)

Steele Member(undivided)

MesaverdeFormation

(part)

Basal sandstone member

Cody

Sha

leFr

ontie

r For

mat

ion

Fron

tier F

orm

atio

n

Fron

tier F

orm

atio

n

Fron

tier F

orm

atio

n

Cody

Sha

le Cody

Sha

le

Cody

Sha

leLo

wer

sha

ly m

embe

r

Low

er s

haly

mem

ber

Low

er s

haly

mem

ber

Alkali Butte member

Fales Sandstone Member

Wallace Creek Tongue of Cody Sh.

Conant Creek tongue

Sage BreaksMember

Sage Breaksequivalent

Sage Breaksequivalent

Sage Breaks equiv.“chalk kick” “chalk kick” “chalk kick”

?

?

?Belle Fourche Shale

(part)Belle Fourche

Member(part)

Belle FourcheMember

(part)

Belle FourcheMember

(part)

Belle FourcheMember

(part)

Pierre Shale(part)

Pierre Shale(part)

Pierre Shale(part)

Pueblo, Colorado

Graneros Shale(part)

Greenhorn Limestone

Carlile Shale (part)

Carlile Shale (part)Carlile Shale (part)

Greenhorn Formation

Wall CreekMember

Emigrant GapMember

Emigrant Gap Member Emigrant Gap MemberEmigrant Gap Member

Carlile Shale(part)

Wall CreekMember

Wall CreekMember

Wall CreekMember

Baculites sp. (weak flank ribs)

Baculites sp. (smooth)

Baculites sp. (smooth)

Cataceramus subcompressus

Cataceramus balticus

“Inoceramus” tenuilineatus

“Inoceramus”azerbaydjanensis

Baculites scottiBaculites reduncus

Baculites gregoryensisBaculites perplexus

Baculites asperiformisBaculites maclearni

Baculites obtusus

Didymoceras nebrascense

Scaphites hippocrepis III

Volviceramusinvolutus

Volviceramuskoeneni

Magadiceramuscrenelatus

Magadiceramussubquadratus

Cladoceramus undulatoplicatusCordiceramus bueltensis

Sphenoceramuslundbreckensis

Cremnoceramus waltersdorfensis

Cremnoceramus waltersdorfensishannoverensis

Cremnoceramusdeformis deformis

Cremnoceramus deformis erectus

Cremnoceramuscrassus crassus

Cremnoceramus crassus inconstans

“Inoceramus” gibbosus

Scaphites leei III

Scaphites depressusScaphites ventricosus

Scaphites preventricosus

Scaphites mariasensis

Scaphites hippocrepis IIScaphites hippocrepis I

Desmoscaphites bassleriDesmoscaphites erdmanniClioscaphites choteauensisClioscaphites vermiformisClioscaphites saxitonianus

Mytiloides scupiniMytiloides incertus

Mytiloides hercynicusMytiloides mytiloides

Mytiloides kossmati

Inoceramusperplexus

Inoceramus dimidius

Inoceramus howelliInoceramus n. sp.

Inoceramus aff. dimidius

Inoceramusdakotensis

Scaphites nigricollensisScaphites whitfieldi

Scaphites warreni

Prionocyclus germari

Prionocyclus ferronensis

Prionocyclus macombiPrionocyclus hyatti

Collignoniceras praecoxCollignoniceras woolgari

Mammites nodosoidesVascoceras birchbyi

Pseudaspidoceras flexuosum

Colinoceras tarrantense

Plesiacanthoceras wyomingenseAcanthoceras amphibolum

Acanthoceras bellenseAcanthoceras muldoonenseAcanthoceras granerosense

Dunveganoceras conditumDunveganoceras albertense

Dunveganoceras problematicumDunveganoceras pondi

Mytiloides puebloensisMytiloides hattini

Inoceramus pictus

Inoceramus ginterensis

Inoceramus prefragilis

Inoceramus rutherfordiInoceramus arvanus

Inoceramus macconnelli

Watinoceras devonenseNigericeras scotti

Neocardioceras juddiiBurroceras clydense

Euomphaloceras septemseriatumVascoceras diartianum

Trangression Regression

NiobraraCycle

GreenhornCycle

ClaggettCycle

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Stratigraphy

11

Figure 9. Isopach map of the Cody Shale. This map includes the interval from the top of the uppermost sandstone in the underlying Frontier Formation to the base of the Mesaverde Formation. In the central part of the basin, the interval includes the Alkali Butte member of the Mesaverde Formation and Conant Creek tongue of the Cody Shale. In the eastern part of the basin, the interval includes the Fales Sandstone Member of the Mesaverde and the Wallace Creek Tongue of the Cody. Thickness interval 250 feet.

\\IGSKAHCMVSFS002\Pubs_Common\Jeff\den16_cmrm00_0048_sim_finn\report_figures\figure_09.ai

5,000

<3,500Thickness of the Cody Shale, in feet

Wind River Basin Province boundary

Western limit of tongues

Thickness contour—Contour interval is 250 feet

EXPLANATION

3,500 to 3,750

3,750 to 4,000

4,000 to 4,250

4,250 to 4,500

4,500 to 4,750

5,250 to 5,500

>5,500

4,750 to 5,000

5,000 to 5,250

Cody Shale outcrop

Precambrian rock

Wind River Basin Province

Well control pointOutcrop control point

T5N

T1NT1S

T1S

T1N

T40N

T35N

T35N

T45N

T40N

T30N

T5N

T.40N.

T.45N.

R. 80 W.R. 85 W.R. 90 W.R. 95 W.R. 100 W.R. 105 W.R. 110 W.

R 110 W

R 105 W

R 90 W R 85 W

R 100 W

R 100 W

R 95 W

R 95 W

R 1 W

R 1 W

R 5 W

R 5 W

R 1 E

R 1 E

R 5 E

R 5 E

T.30N.

T.35N.

R 80 W

R 105 W

Washakie

Wind

River

Range

Mountains

Creek

Owl

Bigh

orn

Mou

ntai

ns

Casper

arch

GraniteMountains

Range

Wind River BasinProvince

WYOMING

0 40 MILES10 20 30

0 40 KILOMETERS10 20 30

43°

110° 109° 30' 108° 107°

43°30'

42°30'

30' 30' 106°30'

Base from Bureau ofLand Managementdigital data, 2016Lambert ConformalConic projectionStandard parallels 33° and 45°Central meridian –108°Latitude of origin 39°North American Datum of 1983(NAD83)

5,0005,000

4,500

4,500

4,500

4,750

5,500

3,500

4,500

3,750

4,2504,000

4,250

4,750

5,2505,250

5,250

5,250

+

Western limitof Conant

Creek tongue

Western limit of WallaceCreek Tongue

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12

Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Niobrara Interval of the Cody Shale and Associated Rocks, W

ind River Basin, WY

Figure 10. Isopach map of the lower shaly member of the Cody Shale. This map includes the interval from the top of the uppermost sandstone in the underlying Frontier Formation to the base of the upper sandy member of the Cody Shale. Thickness interval 250 feet.

\\IGSKAHCMVSFS002\Pubs_Common\Jeff\den16_cmrm00_0048_sim_finn\report_figures\figure_10.ai

<1,250Thickness of the lower shaly member of the Cody Shale, in feet EXPLANATION

1,250 to 1,500

1,500 to 1,750

1,750 to 2,000

2,000 to 2,250

2,250 to 2,500

3,000 to 3,250

3,250 to 3,500

>3,5002,500 to 2,750

2,750 to 3,000

3,500

Wind River Basin Province boundaryThickness contour—Contour interval is 250 feet

Cody Shale outcrop

Precambrian rock

Wind River Basin Province

Well control pointOutcrop control point

T5N

T1NT1S

T1S

T1N

T40N

T35N

T35N

T45N

T40N

T30N

T5N

T.40N.

T.45N.

R. 80 W.R. 85 W.R. 90 W.R. 95 W.R. 100 W.R. 105 W.R. 110 W.

R 110 W

R 105 W

R 90 W R 85 W

R 100 W

R 100 W

R 95 W

R 95 W

R 1 W

R 1 W

R 5 W

R 5 W

R 1 E

R 1 E

R 5 E

R 5 E

T.30N.

T.35N.

R 105 W

R 80 W

Washakie

Wind

River

Range

Mountains

Creek

Owl

Bigh

orn

Mou

ntai

ns

Casper

arch

GraniteMountains

Range

Wind River BasinProvince

WYOMING

0 40 MILES10 20 30

0 40 KILOMETERS10 20 30

Thrust fault—Sawteeth on upper block

43°

110° 109° 30' 108° 107°

43°30'

42°30'

30' 30' 106°30'

Base from Bureau ofLand Managementdigital data, 2016Lambert ConformalConic projectionStandard parallels 33° and 45°Central meridian –108°Latitude of origin 39°North American Datum of 1983(NAD83)

2,000

2,000

1,750

1,750

1,250

1,500

1,500

1,750

1,750

1,750

1,500

1,500

2,5002,250

2,250

2,500

1,750 2,000

1,500

3,0003,500

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Stratigraphy

13

Figure 11. Isopach map of the upper sandy member of the Cody Shale. This map includes the interval from the base of the sandy member to the base of the Mesaverde Formation. In the central part of the basin, the interval includes the Alkali Butte member of the Mesaverde Formation and Conant Creek tongue of the Cody Shale. In the eastern part of the basin, the interval includes the Fales Sandstone Member of the Mesaverde and the Wallace Creek Tongue of the Cody. Thickness interval 250 feet.

\\IGSKAHCMVSFS002\Pubs_Common\Jeff\den16_cmrm00_0048_sim_finn\report_figures\figure_11.ai

<1,000Thickness of the upper sandy member of the Coby Shale, in feet EXPLANATION

1,000 to 1,250

1,250 to 1,500

1,500 to 1,750

1,750 to 2,000

2,000 to 2,250

2,750 to 3,000 >3,750

3,000 to 3,250

3,250 to 3,500

3,500 to 3,750

2,250 to 2,500

2,500 to 2,750

3,750

Wind River Basin Province boundary

Western limit of tongues

Thickness contour—Contour interval is 250 feet

Cody Shale outcrop

Precambrian rock

Wind River Basin Province

Well control pointOutcrop control point

T5N

T1NT1S

T1S

T1N

T40N

T35N

T35N

T45N

T40N

T30N

T5N

T.40N.

T.45N.

R. 80 W.R. 85 W.R. 90 W.R. 95 W.R. 100 W.R. 105 W.R. 110 W.

R 110 W

R 105 W

R 90 W R 85 W

R 100 W

R 100 W

R 95 W

R 95 W

R 1 W

R 1 W

R 5 W

R 5 W

R 1 E

R 1 E

R 5 E

R 5 E

T.30N.

T.35N.

R 105 W

R 80 W

Washakie

Wind

River

Range

Mountains

Creek

Owl

Bigh

orn

Mou

ntai

ns

Casper

arch

GraniteMountains

Range

Wind River BasinProvince

WYOMING

0 40 MILES10 20 30

0 40 KILOMETERS10 20 30

43°

110° 109° 30' 108° 107°

43°30'

42°30'

30' 30' 106°30'

Base from Bureau ofLand Managementdigital data, 2016Lambert ConformalConic projectionStandard parallels 33° and 45°Central meridian –108°Latitude of origin 39°North American Datum of 1983(NAD83)

2,000

2,000

2,250

1,750

2,000

2,2503,250

3,250

3,25

0

3,2502,250

2,000

3,000

3,000

3,0002,750

2,750

2,7502,500

1,000

2,2502,500

2,500

3,500

3,000

Western limitof Conant

Creek tongue

Western limit of WallaceCreek Tongue

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14 Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Niobrara Interval of the Cody Shale and Associated Rocks, Wind River Basin, WY

The Conant Creek tongue of the Cody Shale, informally named by Szmajter (1993), trends north-south across the central part of the basin. It is separated from the upper sandy member by an eastward-thinning clastic wedge of marginal marine and nonmarine rocks, informally referred to as the Alkali Butte member of the Mesaverde Formation by Hogle and Jones (1991) (figs. 6 and 8). The Conant Creek tongue is generally 400 to 1,000 ft thick, but thins to zero where it grades westward into nonmarine rocks of the Mesaverde Formation (fig. 6).

The Wallace Creek Tongue of the Cody Shale occupies the eastern and southeastern parts of the Wind River Basin and is stratigraphically higher and younger than the Conant Creek tongue to the west. This member is a westward-thinning tongue of marine shale that separates the Fales Sandstone Member at the base of the Mesaverde Formation from the upper part of the formation (Barwin, 1961) (fig. 6). The Wal-lace Creek Tongue is nearly 500 ft thick in the southeastern part of the basin and thins to zero in the northern part of the Coalbank Hills, where it grades into the main part of the Mesaverde Formation, (fig. 6).

Niobrara Interval

The Niobrara equivalent strata in the Wind River Basin are represented by gray to black shale, calcareous shale, marl, and bentonite, with minor amounts of siltstone and sandstone. In many samples, the more calcareous zones are often charac-terized by varying amounts of coccolith-rich fecal pellets that appear as distinctive “white specks” similar to those described by Hattin (1975). A persistent zone or high-resistivity peak identified on resistivity logs in the lower 50–300 ft of the lower shaly member (fig. 4 and map sheet), referred to as the “chalk kick” marker by Keefer (1972) represents the base of the Nio-brara equivalent in the Wind River Basin based on correlations along the Casper arch and into the western Powder River Basin (Merewether and others, 1977a, b; Dunleavy and Gilbertson, 1986; Fox, 1993). The “chalk kick” marker can be traced in the subsurface throughout most of the basin, and based on Ameri-can Stratigraphic Company (AMSTRAT) sample descriptions from well cuttings it separates noncalcareous shales in the lowermost part of the shaly member from overlying calcareous strata (fig. 4, map sheet). The AMSTRAT sample descriptions from wells in the eastern and southeastern part of the basin indicate that the top of this calcareous interval corresponds to a distinctive gamma ray and electric log response (fig. 4 and map sheet), that has been traced eastward into the top of the Niobr-ara Member (or Formation) along the Casper arch and into the Powder River Basin by Merewether and others (1977a, b) and Dunleavy and Gilbertson (1986). In the eastern and southeast-ern parts of the basin, the Niobrara interval ranges from about 750 to 1,500 ft thick (fig. 12). The shaly member above the cal-careous Niobrara interval and below the base of the overlying sandy member in this area is composed of shales that are less calcareous to noncalcareous and commonly contain numer-ous bentonite beds (map sheet). To the west, in the vicinity of Coalbank Hills, and extending along a line roughly north-south

between Madden anticline and Tepee Flats to the northern margin of the basin, the upper part of the interval progressively grades into the upper sandy member of the Cody Shale (figs. 6, 12, and map sheet). West of this line only the basal Niobrara strata of the Casper arch and Powder River Basin are repre-sented in the central and western parts of the Wind River Basin (figs. 6, 8, and map sheet). In the central and western parts of the basin, the Niobrara interval ranges from less than 1,000 ft to about 1,800 ft thick (fig. 12).

There is little fossil data available for the Niobrara inter-val in the eastern and southeastern parts of the basin, however, according to Merewether (1996), W.A. Cobban of the USGS collected and identified several species of marine mollusks from overlying and underlying beds in the western and south-western parts of the Powder River Basin. These fauna indi-cate that the Niobrara along the Casper arch and possibly the eastern part of the Wind River Basin are likely middle Conia-cian to early Campanian in age (fig. 8). Fossil data reported by Cobban (1951), Yenne and Pipiringos (1954), Keefer and Troyer (1964), Keefer (1972), Landman and Cobban (2007), and files at the USGS fossil collection in Denver, Colorado (K.C. McKinney, USGS, written commun., 2015) for sur-face sections near Shotgun Butte, Lander, and Conant Creek indicate that the Niobrara interval below the contact with the upper sandy member is middle Coniacian to late Santonian in age in the central and western parts of the basin (fig. 8).

Sage Breaks Interval

Merewether and others (1977a, b), and Dunleavy and Gilbertson (1986) correlated the interval of the shaly member of the Cody Shale below the “chalk kick” marker and the top of the uppermost sandstone in the Frontier Formation with the Sage Breaks Member of the Cody Shale in the western part of the Powder River Basin (figs. 4 and 8). This inter-val of noncalcareous marine shale ranges in thickness from about 300 ft in the southeastern part of the basin thinning to less than 50 ft in the western part, reflecting the backstep-ping pattern of sandstones in the underlying Frontier Forma-tion (figs. 6, 13, and map sheet). Ammonite and inoceramid fossils collected from the underlying Frontier Formation and within the Sage Breaks interval indicate that it is latest Turonian to middle Coniacian in age in the eastern part of the basin, and early to middle Coniacian in age in the central western parts (fig. 8).

AcknowledgmentsThis report benefited from reviews by Ron Johnson,

Michael Brownfield, and Dave Ferderer of the U.S. Geologi-cal Survey (USGS), and their suggestions and comments are greatly appreciated. Important information about fossil collec-tions and locations were provided by K.C. McKinney, curator of the USGS fossil collection in Denver, Colo.

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Acknowledgm

ents

15

Figure 12. Isopach map of the Niobrara equivalent interval in the lower part of the Cody Shale. In the eastern part of the basin, the map includes the interval from the base of the “chalk kick” marker to the top of the calcareous zone within the lower shaly member of the Cody Shale. In the central and western parts of the basin, the top of the interval is the base of the sandy member of the Cody Shale. Thickness interval 250 feet.

\\IGSKAHCMVSFS002\Pubs_Common\Jeff\den16_cmrm00_0048_sim_finn\report_figures\figure_12.ai

<750

Thickness of the Niobrara equivalent interval in the lower part of the Cody Shale, in feet

EXPLANATION

750 to 1,000

1,000 to 1,250

1,250 to 1,500

1,500 to 1,750

>1,750

T5N

T1NT1S

T1S

T1N

T40N

T35N

T35N

T45N

T40N

T30N

T5N

T.40N.

T.45N.

R. 80 W.R. 85 W.R. 90 W.R. 95 W.R. 100 W.R. 105 W.R. 110 W.

R 110 W

R 105 W

R 90 W R 85 W

R 100 W

R 100 W

R 95 W

R 95 W

R 1 W

R 1 W

R 5 W

R 5 W

R 1 E

R 1 E

R 5 E

R 5 E

T.30N.

T.35N.

R 105 W

R 80 W

Washakie

Wind

River

Range

Mountains

Creek

Owl

Bigh

orn

Mou

ntai

ns

Casper

arch

GraniteMountains

Range

Wind River BasinProvince

WYOMING

0 40 MILES10 20 30

0 40 KILOMETERS10 20 30

1,000

Wind River Basin Province boundaryThickness contour—Contour interval is 250 feet

Cody Shale outcrop

Precambrian rock

Wind River Basin ProvinceWell control pointOutcrop control point

Thrust fault—Sawteeth on upper block

43°

110° 109° 30' 108° 107°

43°30'

42°30'

30' 30' 106°30'

Base from Bureau ofLand Managementdigital data, 2016Lambert ConformalConic projectionStandard parallels 33° and 45°Central meridian –108°Latitude of origin 39°North American Datum of 1983(NAD83)

Approximate positionwhere top of Niobrara

grades into uppersandy member

1,000

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16

Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Niobrara Interval of the Cody Shale and Associated Rocks, W

ind River Basin, WY

Figure 13. Isopach map of the Sage Breaks equivalent interval in the lower part of the Cody Shale. This map includes the interval from the base of the “chalk kick” marker to the top of the uppermost sandstone in the underlying Frontier Formation. Thickness interval 50 feet.

\\IGSKAHCMVSFS002\Pubs_Common\Jeff\den16_cmrm00_0048_sim_finn\report_figures\figure_13.ai

<50

Thickness of the Sage Breaks equivalent interval in the lower part of the Cody Shale, in feet

EXPLANATION

50 to 100

100 to 150

150 to 200

200 to 250

250 to 300

>300

Need base map credit note

T5N

T1NT1S

T1S

T1N

T40N

T35N

T35N

T45N

T40N

T30N

T5N

T.40N.

T.45N.

R. 80 W.R. 85 W.R. 90 W.R. 95 W.R. 100 W.R. 105 W.R. 110 W.

R 110 W

R 105 W

R 90 W R 85 W

R 100 W

R 100 W

R 95 W

R 95 W

R 1 W

R 1 W

R 5 W

R 5 W

R 1 E

R 1 E

R 5 E

R 5 E

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T.35N.

R 105 W

R 80 W

Washakie

Wind

River

Range

Mountains

Creek

Owl

Bigh

orn

Mou

ntai

ns

Casper

arch

GraniteMountains

Range

Wind River BasinProvince

WYOMING

0 40 MILES10 20 30

0 40 KILOMETERS10 20 30

300

Wind River Basin Province boundaryThickness contour—Contour interval is 50 feet

Cody Shale outcrop

Precambrian rock

Wind River Basin ProvinceWell control pointOutcrop control point

Thrust fault—Sawteeth on upper block

43°

110° 109° 30' 108° 107°

43°30'

42°30'

30' 30' 106°30'

Base from Bureau ofLand Managementdigital data, 2016Lambert ConformalConic projectionStandard parallels 33° and 45°Central meridian –108°Latitude of origin 39°North American Datum of 1983(NAD83)

100

100

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0 150

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References Cited 17

References Cited

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18 Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Niobrara Interval of the Cody Shale and Associated Rocks, Wind River Basin, WY

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Publishing support provided by: Denver Publishing Service CenterFor more information concerning this publication, contact: Center Director, USGS Central Energy Resources Science Center Box 25046, Mail Stop 939 Denver, CO 80225 (303) 236-1647Or visit the Central Energy Resources Science Center Web site at: http://energy.usgs.gov/

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Finn—Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the N

iobrara Interval of the Cody Shale and Associated Rocks in the W

ind River Basin, Central W

Y—SIM

3370

ISSN 2329-132X (online) https://doi.org/10.3133/sim3370