Overthrust Belt

Reflection suggests that some of the sulfur allocated to district I might be reapportioned to district III. However, the major increase is found in district IV. This is based on a projection of production from the Overthrust Belt. The evidence for this is currently very scanty. Proved reserves have been estimated at. 4.5 TCF with ultimate resources at 100 TCF but drilling costs are high (23) The H2S content appears to run from 10 percent to 18 percent (24, 25). One processing plant with a sulfur capacity of 1200 T/d is already planned (26) Eight such plants would fulfill the 1990 estimate. By 1990, however, development of western tight sands and imports of Alaskan and/or Canadian gas could reduce the competitive position of the Belt. 

On a qualitative basis, the estimates of recovered sulfur from refinery operations appear to be the most secure. Except for district IV, which depends heavily on the ultimate productivity of the Overthrust Belt, estimates of sulfur production from sour natural gas also seem reliable. The heavy crude oil sulfur output estimate is reasonably firm. Oil shale, tar sands, heavy oil and in situ coal combustion will produce little sulfur even under optimistic scenarios. The smelter acid projection is weak. Metal output may... 

By relating the supply forecast that has been presented earlier in this paper with the projections of future demand, we can arrive at the trend in the supply/demand relationship over the forecast period. The U.S. has been a small net-importer of sulfur values during most of the past decade. In 1978, the U.S. had a net deficit position of about 400,000 tons. With a short-term upturn in phosphate demand, both domestic and international, we anticipate that the deficit position will widen over the next year or so. Even though U.S. exports will likely increase due to rising prices for sulfur in the export market, U.S. imports will also rise. But, with the advent of large amounts of sulfur starting to come from the Overthrust Belt by the mid-1980 s, we believe that the deficit position will reverse itself and place the U.S. in a net export position. In the latter part of the 1980 s, we anticipate this surplus to widen considerably. 

Milliken K. L. (1998) Carbonate diagenesis in non-marine foreland sandstones at the western edge of the Alleghanian overthrust belt, southern Appalachians. In Carbonate Cementation in Sandstones Distribution Patterns and Geochemical Evolution (ed. S. Morad). International Association of Sedimentologists, Oxford, vol. 26, pp. 87-105. 

Deming, D., Nunn, J.A. and D.G. Evans, 1990. Thermal effects of compaction-driven groundwater flow from overthrust belts. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 95, no. B5, pp. 6669-6683... 

Light hydrocarbons for petroleum and gas prospecting Overthrust Belt, Wyoming-Utah... 

Fig. 5-44. Composite cell map in which the Monte Carlo simulations have been applied to methane, ethane and propane anomalies in the Overthrust Belt, Wyoming-Utah, highlighting the regions where all three of these gases are above their respective medians.

Mitra, S. 1988. Effects of deformation mechanisms on reservoir potential in central Appalachian overthrust belt. Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol. Bull., 72 536-554. 

Carbonate diagenesis in non-marine foreland sandstones at the western edge of the Alleghanian overthrust belt, southern Appalachians... 

Stockmal GS, Beaumont C, Boutilier R (1986) Geodynamic models of convergent margin tectonics transition from rifted margin to overthrust belt and consequences for foreland-basin development. AAPG Bulletin 7o(2) i8i-i9o... 

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