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EVALUATING THE POTENTIAL TO INCREASE OIL PRODUCTION FROM LEGACY FIELDS IN MONTANA
Get PDFThis research assesses the potential for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) techniques to boost oil production in Montana. Eight major oil basins in Montana, comprising over 350 oil fields, were analyzed. Using a volumetric analytical method, the original oil in place (OOIP) was estimated for 42 fields where sufficient data were available for the calculation. By comparing the cumulative oil production with the OOIP, fields with significant remaining reserves were identified. Data for this project was obtained from the Montana Geological Society (MGS) and the Montana Board of Oil and Gas (MBOG), which provided comprehensive information on reservoir properties, fluid characteristics, and production histories. The analysis identified that approximately 3.51 billion stock tank barrels (BSTB) of oil remain within the 42 reservoirs suggesting considerable untapped potential. The study utilized a screening criterion based on reservoir rock properties and fluid characteristics to select appropriate EOR methods for the 42 fields. Carbon dioxide (CO2) injection, hydrocarbon injection and polymer flooding were identified as the most viable EOR techniques. In general, fields at depths greater than 4,000 feet were recommended for CO2 injection, while fields at shallower depths were more suited to polymer flooding. The Breed Creek oil field was selected from the 42 fields for detailed modeling and simulation due to its available reservoir data. Preliminary simulations indicated that CO2 injection could increase recovery by approximately 10%, potentially extracting an additional 880,000 STB of oil from this field. Applying the results from this field to other fields in Montana could result in hundreds of millions of additional barrels of oil production, unlocking significant potential across iii the region. This study validates that EOR techniques could significantly enhance oil production in Montana, and further simulations and economic analyses will guide the feasibility and implementation of these methods in the field. This research not only provides valuable insights for the revitalization of Montana’s oil industry but also offers a scalable pathway for improving oil recovery in other states facing similar challenges. The methodologies and EOR techniques explored in this study can be adapted to diverse geological settings across the U.S., offering a broader impact on oil production. By tailoring these approaches to the specific reservoir characteristics of various oil fields nationwide, states with declining oil output can benefit from increased hydrocarbon recovery, contributing to both regional and national energy sustainability
INVESTIGATION OF THE BOULDER PORPHYRY PROSPECT JEFFERSON COUNTY, MONTANA
Get PDFWith increasing demand for domestic sources of base, precious, and critical metals, previously underexplored mineral systems in the United States are gaining attention. The Boulder Porphyry project (BPP), located 15 miles north of Butte, in Jefferson County, Montana, represents a concealed and underexplored copper-molybdenum porphyry system that shares a similar geologic setting with the world-class mining district in Butte, Montana. This thesis applies a combination of traditional and modern exploration techniques to better understand the nature of hydrothermal mineralization at the BPP. Short-wave infrared (SWIR) analysis of drill core, coupled with bulk rock geochemistry, is used to characterize hydrothermal alteration assemblages and their possible correlations with copper grades down hole. These data are supplemented by reflected light microscopy, sulfur isotope studies, and radiometric age dating to compare the BPP with the well-studied Butte deposit. Due to time and monetary constraints, only one drill hole was examined in detail in this study. The top several hundred feet of this hole were drilled through Eocene Lowland Creek Volcanics that unconformably overly the late Cretaceous Butte Granite and that hosts porphyry-style mineralization at the BPP. The most abundant sulfide minerals found were pyrite and chalcopyrite, although molybdenite was seen towards the bottom of the hole. Scanning electron microscopy documented the presence of small amounts of bismuth, copper, arsenic, silver, lead-sulfide minerals in two samples of mineralized vein material. The SWIR analysis and whole rock chemical trends shows that sericitic (phyllic) alteration commonly occurs along centimeter-scale quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite veins. Relatively limited evidence for strong potassic or advanced argillic alteration was found in this study for the one drill hole investigated, although potassic alteration has been documented by company geologists. Sulfur isotopes of sulfide minerals (pyrite, chalcopyrite, molybdenite) separated from different depths in the drill core fell in a narrow range of +3.1 to +5.3 ‰. These values are typical of hydrothermal mineral deposits in the Boulder Batholith, and overlap with the isotopic composition of sulfide minerals from Butte. An in-situ rhenium-osmium age date of 75.0±1.5 Ma was obtained for molybdenite in a quartz vein from near the bottom of the hole examined. This result indicates that porphyry-style mineralization began shortly after emplacement of the host Butte Granite. However, the single age determination does not preclude the presence of overprinting hydrothermal events at the BPP
Final Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (BPSOU) Unreclaimed (UR) Sites: UR-35 Remedial Action Work Plan (RAWP)
Get PDFRevised Draft Final Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (BPSOU) Unreclaimed Sites: UR-03 Site Remedial Action Work Plan (RAWP)
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Re: Comment Letter for Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (BPSOU) Notice of Intent to Abandon BPS07-05A and BPS07-05B (dated July 14, 2025)
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