Since 1940 the Oligocene-Miocene Temblor Formation in the central portion of the San Joaquin Valley has yielded more that one billion barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of gas from the general study area. With renewed interest in the Temblor sands as a petroleum producer this study provides a base of information with direct exploration and exploitation applications. The principle topics of investigation are as follows:
- Biostratigraphy of the Temblor and equivalent units for age determination, time lines, and chronologic correlations
- Identification of lithofacies, their geological properties , vertical and lateral distribution. These are defined by available conventional core, cuttings, and wireline logs
- Depositional environments and plaeobathymetry of the Temblor and their relationship to the distribution and geometry of productive and non-productive lithofacies
- Mineral, texture and pore space properties of upper and lower Temblor sands pertinent to recognition of pay and important for proper formation evaluation
- Determination of fluid flow and logging parameters such as electrical property measurements for wireline log calibration, completion and stimulation techniques for a spectrum of Temblor rock types
- Geochemistry of the Temblor and equivalent units for organic richness, source rock potential and thermal maturity
Regional rock control is provided by 2,289 feet of conventional whole core from seven (7) wells, 3,181 feet of core chips from seven other wells, and 35,011 feet of cuttings from fifteen (15) wells. The study contains individual well summary reports that allow operators to utilize analytical data for individual wells, and a final report that integrates numerous geological variables to provide the regional perspective needed to successfully explore for and exploit Temblor reservoirs.