Depositional Environment, History and Digenesis, and Petroleum Geology of the Cleveland Shale Member, Devonian Ohio Shale
Author: Saeed | Filed under: UncategorizedI. Introduction, Literature Review, and Hypothesis
According to the Dictionary of Science and Technology, Black Shale is “thinly bedded shale that is rich in carbon, sulfide, and organic material; formed by anaerobic decay of matter. Moreover, “According to the Glossary of Geology, 4th edition, Black Shale is “a dark, thinly laminated carbonaceous shale, exceptionally rich in organic matter (5% or more carbon content) and sulfide (especially. Iron sulfide, usually pyrite), and more commonly containing unusual concentrations of certain trace elements (Uranium, Vanadium, Copper, Nickel).” Fossil organisms are commonly well maintained as a graphitic or carbonaceous item or pyrite replacements.
Black Shale is commonly fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from two essential minerals, silt and clay, and we usually call it mud. Black Shale is a kind of Mudstone, but it can be distinguished from other types of Mudstone because Black Shale is fissile and laminated. Oil shale is usually districted as a fine-grained sedimentary rock which contains organic matter. This rock returns significant amounts of oil and ignitable gas. The majority of the biological material is insoluble in ordinary organic solvents; therefore, it has to be disintegrated by roasting to release such materials. Essentially, most definitions of oil shale are related to its importance for the economic recovery of energy such as shale oil and ignitable gas. A deposit of oil shale having commercial possibility is generally one that is at or around the surface to be technologically advanced by open-pit or common underground mining or in-situ methods (Dyni, 2006).
Black Shale has taken a long time to be understood until the mid-1970s. The history of Black Shale investigation started only with the collection of data from outcrop observations. This information created difficult situations for the biological interpretation and the factors which formed and controlled the organic materials. According to Schott et al., (1978) current investigations of eastern black shale, particularly the Chattanooga Shale and its correlatives of Late Devonian and Mississippian ages, as a source of gas, are producing a new generation of data; and the time is appropriate to consider the processes involved in the accumulation of black shale. Tourtelot (1979) believed that recently, however, a growing body of chemical data on the biological as well as the non-biological compositions of black shale has broadened the opportunity of inferences that can be drawn on the creation of such rocks. In the early 1970s, as the oil industries started to do the deep-sea well logs, scientists and investigators started to analyze and interpret the organic matter from their environments.
The Devonian Ohio Black Shale has taken the scientific concentration for a long time. Scientists and geologists have been trying to find out the hidden issues of this geological unit from different aspects: economical, geological, and chemical fields. Geologists have started to consider for the Devonian Black Shale since the mid-18th century. Newberry (1970) studied the progress of the geology of Ohio in general. He also conducted, in the late 1800’s, many studies concentrating on the Ohio geological structures. Winchell (1874) & Hicks (1878) tried to study the geological map of the middle of Ohio.
Early in the last century, geologists started to study the geology of Ohio extensively. Carney (1909) evaluated the stratigraphy of Licking County. Then, Prosser (1912 & 1913) tried to study the Devonian formation especially Huron and Cleveland Black Shale of Northern Ohio. When the oil companies started to explore for oil and gas, Black Shale took a place of concentration. Cushing (1912) tried to find the age of the Cleveland Black Shale, whereas Ashley (1917) reported an estimation of the Oil resources of the Black Shale of the eastern United States. The correlation of the Devonian Black Shale in Ohio and Pennsylvania was started in 1910s. Verviebe (1917) tried to study the southeastern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania to draw stratigraphic column because of the symmetric properties. The sedimentary stratigraphy of the Devonian Black Shale was started early the last century by (Kindle, 1912), then Roen (1981), and Broadhead (1982) had the same situation for the regional stratigraphy of Ohio Black Shale. Much has been written about the depositional model of Devonian Black Shale. Hoover (1960), Swanson, (1961) Szmuc (1961), Janssens, (1969 & 1970), Conkin (1980), Potter (1980), Potter (1981), Ettenson (1981) Jordan (1980), Kopforlo (1984), Thomas (1988), Hancock (2000), Coogan (1996), &Dyni (2006) conducted significant works for understanding the Ohio Black Shale sequence. These works gave images for the Devonian Black shale depositional style, and they also analyzed its sequence from different locations with the few techniques.
On the other hand, fossils are rare in the more than 50% of Black Shale in the world that was deposited in shallow marine environments, and fishes just started at that time to appear. However, some geologists found few kinds of fossils and tried to date them using a biostratigraphy method, whereas some of them tried to correlate their fossils with other areas such as Pennsylvania or Ontario (Hlavian, 1976; Lewis, 1976; Denison, 1978; Hosterman, 1981; Chitaley, 1996; Yeager, 1996; & Chitalym, 2001).
As can be clearly seen, all of those studies are either old or deal with Devonian Shale in general. The Cleveland Black Shale has not been professionally studied. The purposes of my thesis is to better characterize the Cleveland Black Shale in terms of its sedimentological, stratigraphic, and pterophysical properties by three methods, all of which will be described in the next section. Furthermore, there is another purpose of my thesis, to identify the facies of Cleveland Black Shale in Northwest Ohio because it is necessary due to its large amount and size for the world’s energy supply.
II. Methodology
A. Measured Sections
a. Outcrop analysis
As I am going to study Ohio Black Shale from Cuyahoga County, there will be measurement of the Black Shale outcrop (in both fresh and weathered). There will be five field trips, at least, to study the area’s outcrop for facies observations and analysis. This analysis will help to investigate the area in both physical characteristics and biological features. The physical characteristics include lithology, sequence stratigraphy, sedimentary structures, nodules, fossil content, texture and composition, modifying clauses, and erosional and depositional systems. Moreover, I am going to find, if possible, the deformation and the biogenic structures. Then, I will obtain direct investigation based on the observation from the three methods. I am going to take a course in the next semester related to the “Analysis of Basin’s Sediments.” This course will be taught by Dr. James Evans, who is my thesis advisor, from the Geology department at Bowling Green State University. I will use the principles of basin sediments, as I study, to understand and interpret the data. I am going to use the Potter’s Scheme to define the grain size of the outcrop.
b. Well log
There will be another field trip to Columbus, Ohio. I will ask for permission from the Department of Natural resources, ODNR, at the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, DNAP, to use the samples that were obtained from the core drilling. I am going to concentrate on the wells which are located in Cuyahoga County to obtain the well core logs. As I obtain all the data from more than one well, I am going to use this data to correlate these wells between each other to be able to draw a cross section. In addition, I am looking to study the dip and the strike to make a correlation with the outcrop data. As I am going to analyze the synthetic geophysical logs, I will obtain the lithofacies and the environmental deposition by using the physical and chemical characteristics. The goals from this method will be to interpret the thickness and geometry of the Black Shale, and I will use the Campbell Scheme for the shale geometry that has been recently published.
B. Petrology
As I am going to observe the field, I will collect some samples from the fresh and weathered Black Shale. These samples will be divided into two separate groups, all of which will be used in different method. I am going to use the first group to prepare thin sections, and the other samples will be used in the third method. Analyzing the thin section is a perfect way to study the petrography and petrogensis for the Ohio Cleveland Black Shale. This method will allow me to study the ore and mineral deposits. There are two ways to describe the composition and the texture of the Black Shale, optical mineralogy and chemical analysis. The aim of this method is to understand the origins of the grains of Ohio Black Shale and their orientations.
C. Scanning Electron Microscopy, SEM
This is the third method that I am going to use in this research. I have not used this method before; however, I am planning to take another course “Transmission Electronic Microscopy” in the next semester with Dr. Carol Heckman in the Biology department. While I am studying this course and using the laboratory, I will use the second group of the hand samples to apply this method because this method will concentrate on the surface of the samples and magnifies it a million times. The Black Shale will be clearly seen in this method rather than in the thin section or field observation methods because I am going to study the shale’s grains in more detail. I am going to apply this method and look for the pyrite and uranium orientation in the Cleveland Black Shale, and this will allow me to draw a cross section of the Black Shale.
III. Schedule For Completion
My plan to do this research has many steps, and they are:
1- Since I have no experience in Ohio outcrops or where are they exactly exposed, first, I am going to find the topographic map for the Cuyahoga County, Rocky River, and for the Ohio Black Shale outcrops.
2- Secondly, I need to make many traverses to know from where I should start, where I can concentrate, and where my traverses will be implemented.
3- I am going to do the first three field trips, which will be at Cuyahoga and Rocky River, during this summer. In those locations, I will collect the samples and observe the outcrops. I need also to know where I should collect the samples.
4- The second field trip will be to the Cleveland Museum of Science and History. I need to see the Black Shale Fossils that were collected from all of Ohio Black Shale Formations. This trip will allow me to make a correlation between the Devonian Black Shale Fossils from three areas: Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Ontario. I am looking to see some fossils names such as Clevelandodendron Ohioensis or Callixylon.
5- During this summer, I will start to make the initial interpretation.
6- Then, when I need to collect more data or to observe specific location, I am going to make another field trip.
7- In the end of the summer, I am going to ask ODNR to get permission to spend a week to study the well cores. This field trip will be once and for five days.
8- During October 2012, my data will be available
9- I will start the direct investigation by the end of the fall semester.
10- Finally, I will start writing the thesis defiance as I finish the investigation until the middle of spring 2013. I will be ready to defend my thesis in March 2013.
VII. Discussion and Results
As I mention in the previous points, I am going to study the Cleveland Black Shale in detail as a member of Devonian Black Shale. This study will be based on the previous three methods to investigate the facies sequence for those strata. This investigation of the factors that had affected the sedimentation is a significant method to obtain a professional analysis and reasonable understanding for the historical and fundamental idea for both Appalachian Basin and Cleveland Black Shale.
I expect to obtain three results from this research. The Cleveland Black Shale was deposited in shallow water marine environment during a transgression after volcanic eruptions. Volcanic ash was deposited before the Black Shale. The Appalachian Mountains were eroded and the sedimentation of the black shale was deposited at the versant of the mountain. To report, the high percentage of phosphates pyrite ooids will be the direct evidence of the shallow marine environment whereas the high percentage of phosphate will be the evidence of deep marine environment. Therefore, as I can obtain one of these pieces of evidence, I will prove or change the old known idea, because scientists have known that this unit was deposited in the shallow marine environment. In addition, all the previous studies reported that there is a slight west-east slope of deposition. However, because my study has six different north-south travers, I expect to find a south-north slope which means the mountains were located south-east of the basin, and this is also a different idea than the previous studies.
The limitations that will affect this research are three. Firstly, the financing is the major restriction in this study since the initial expenses reach four thousand dollars. I am going to request financial support from the Saudi Culture Mission since I have a full scholarship. Another request will be sent to the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysis, SPWLA. Another potential problem is that the previous works are not enough to find adequate information because they are old or looking for those layers in general, such as many studies on the Ohio environments and the rock structures. Lastly, this study will be done in three separate places. The outcrops are exposed in several areas on Northeast of Ohio, and accessing to some of them requires permission from the county councils in which the study areas are located. The next study area is located in southern Ohio. The well cores studies are property of the U.S. government; therefore, these studies require approval from the Department of Natural Survey, Columbus. The last area is the office analysis, and I should do that in the geology department at BGSU. These steps will be a challenge with time; consequently, I need to spend a week to study the outcrops and another week to study the well cores. However, during the analysis step, if I missed any information or need more, I should go back to both the outcrops and well cores for more study.
The total analysis of the three different methods seems to be enough to demonstrate these particular facies. However, studying at different areas in southern Ohio can be an excellent opportunity to correlate the same environment in the same age but from different areas. This further research will be my PhD dissertation; I will have another approach to apply, and this will be the chemical analysis.
The poverty of Cleveland Black Shale research will make this thesis more significant because much research was concentrated on the underling layer, which is Marcellus Shale. Marcellus Black Shale contains a large amount of Oil and Gas when this stratum has good quantities, and it is shallower than other members.
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