Frio sandstone reservoirs in the deep subsurface along the Texas gulf coast : their potential for production of geopressured geothermal energy

Tertiary strata of the Texas Gulf Coast comprise a number of terrigenous depositional wedges, some of which thicken abruptly at their downdip ends as a result of contemporaneous movement of growth faults and underlying salt. The Frio Formation, one of these wedges, has been studied regionally by means of a grid of correlation cross sections aided by micropaleontological control, By means of these sections, the Frio was subdivided into six map units; maps of sandstone distribution within these units delineate principal elongate sandstone trends parallel to the Gulf Coast composed of deltaic, barrier-bar, and strandplain sandstones. These broad regional studies, followed by detailed local investigations, were pursued in order to delineate prospective areas for production of geopressured geothermal energy.