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Coastal & Marine Geology Program >Subsidence and Fault Activation . . . > Open File Reoprt 01-274

Shallow Stratigraphic Evidence of Subsidence and Faulting Induced by Hydrocarbon Production in Coastal Southeast Texas

USGS Open File Report 01-274

Robert A. Morton, Noreen A. Purcell, and Russell L. Peterson

Contents:
Summary
Introduction
Geology & Production Histories
Sediment Surface Profiles
Sediment Cores
Results
Coastal Environmental Implications
References
Appendix A
Appendix B
Project Contact:
Bob Morton

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank B. J. Reynolds for conducting the field surveys, Lauren Shapiro for assistance with the production data, and Betsy Boynton for assistance with the report layout and illustrations. Barbara Lidz and Peter Swarzenski provided editorial and scientific reviews.

References

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  • Ewing, T.E., 1985, Subsidence and surface faulting in the Houston-Galveston area, Texas related to deep fluid withdrawal. In, Dorfman, M.H., and Morton, R.A. (eds.), Geopressured Geothermal Energy: Proceedings of the 6th U.S. Gulf Coast Geopressured-Geothermal Conference, Pergamon Press, New York, p. 289-298.
  • Holzer, T. L., and Bluntzer, R. L., 1984, Land subsidence near oil and gas fields, Houston, Texas: Ground Water, v. 22, p. 450-459.
  • Kiatta, H.W., 1986, Port Neches North (Hackberry) Orange County, Texas. In Typical Oil and Gas Fields of Southeast Texas II: Houston Geological Society, p. 390-395.
  • Kreitler, C.W., 1978, Faulting and land subsidence from ground-water and hydrocarbon production: The Univ. of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, Research Note 8, 22p.
  • Kreitler, C.W., Akhter, M.S., Donnelly, A.C.A., and Wood, W.T., 1988, Hydrogeology of formations used for deep-well injection, Texas Gulf Coast: Univ. Texas at Austin Bureau of Economic Geology, prepared for EPA, Cooperative Agreement No. CR812786-01-0, 204p.
  • Kulp, M A; Howell, P D, 1998, Assessing the accuracy of Holocene subsidence rates in southern Louisiana as indicated by radiocarbon-dated peats: Abstracts with Programs - Geological Society of America, v. 30, no.7, p. 142.
  • Martin, J.C., and Serdengecti, S., 1984, Subsidence over oil and gas fields, In Holzer, T.L., Reviews in Engineering Geology, v. VI, p. 23-34.
  • Mes, M.J., 1990, Ekofisk reservoir pressure drops and seabed subsidence: 22nd Annual Offshore Technology Conference, v. 1, p. 373-387.
  • Morton, R. A., Blum, M. D., and White, W. A., 1996, Characteristics of incised valley fills, coastal plain rivers of southeastern Texas: Transactions Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies, v. 46, p. 321-331.
  • Morton, R. A., Kindinger, J. L., Flocks, J. G., and Stewart, L. B., 1999, Climatic and eustatic control of Holocene nearshore parasequence development, southeastern Texas coast: Transactions Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies, v. 49, p. 384-395.
  • Morton, R. A., and White, W. A., 1997, Characteristics of and corrections for core shortening in unconsolidated sediments: Journal of Coastal Research, v. 13, p. 761-769.Musolff, N.C., 1962, Caplen Field, Galveston County, Texas, In Denham, R.L., ed., Typical Oil and Gas Fields of Southeast Texas I: Houston Geological Society, p. 30-33.
  • Naidoo, G., McKee, K.L., and Mendelssohn, I.A., 1992, Anatomical and metabolic responses to waterlogging and salinity in Spartina alterniflora and S. patens (Poaceae): American Journal of Botany, v. 79, p. 765-770.
  • Pratt, W. E., and Johnson, D. W., 1926, Local subsidence of the Goose Creek oil field: Journal of Geology, v. 34, p. 577-590.
  • Ratzlaff, K.W., 1982, Land-surface subsidence in the Texas coastal region: Texas Department of Water Resources Report 272, 26 p.
  • Roberts, H.H., Bailey, A., and Kuecher, G.J., 1994, Subsidence in the Mississippi River delta Ð Important influences of valley filling by cyclic deposition, primary consolidation phenomena, and early diagenesis: Transactions Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies, v. 44, p. 619-629.
  • Sharp, J.M., Jr., and Hill, D.W., 1995, Land subsidence along the northeastern Texas Gulf Coast: Effects of deep hydrocarbon production: Environmental Geology, v. 25, p. 181-191.
  • Suhayda, J.N., 1987, Subsidence and sea level , In Turner, R.E. and Cahoon, D.R., eds., Causes of Wetland Loss in the Coastal Central Gulf of Mexico, v. II Technical Narrative, Minerals Management Service OCS Study MMS87-0120, p. 187-202.
  • White, W. A., Calnan, T. R., Morton, R. A., Kimble, R. S., Littleton, T. G., McGowen, J. H., Nance, H. S., and Schmedes, K. E., 1987, Submerged lands of Texas, Beaumont-Port Arthur area: sediments, geochemistry, benthic macroinvertebrates, and associated wetlands: The Univ. of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, 110p.
  • White, W. A., and Morton, R. A., 1997, Wetland losses related to fault movement and hydrocarbon production, southeastern Texas coast: Journal of Coastal Research, v. 13, p. 1305-1320.
  • White, W.A., and Tremblay, T.A., 1995, Submergence of wetlands as a result of human-induced subsidence and faulting along the upper Texas Gulf Coast: Journal of Coastal Research, v. 11, p. 788-807.
  • Williams, K.O., 1962, Clam Lake Field, Jefferson County, Texas, In Denham, R.L., ed., Typical Oil and Gas Fields of Southeast Texas I: Houston Geological Society, p. 34-37.Wiprut, D., and Zoback, M., 2000, Fault reactivation and fluid flow along a previously dormant normal fault in the northern North Sea: Geology, v. 28, p. 595-598.
  • Yerkes, R.F., and Castle, R.O., 1976, Seismicity and faulting attributable to fluid extraction: Engineering Geology, v. 11, p. 151-167.

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Coastal & Marine Geology Program >Subsidence and Fault Activation . . . > Open File Report 01-274


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