Get Essential, free

Fordoche oil field: formation waters and oils

South-central Louisiana, Pointe Coupee Parish, United States

Groundwater

Type
Groundwater

Oil and gas field in sandstones of the Wilcox Formation (Eocene), stacked reservoirs W-12, W-8 and Sparta B between 3500 and 4350 m, fed through a regional fault; source rock below the reservoirs (mudstone at 4334 m). Approximate coordinates of the village of Fordoche. Waters at 8 to 85 ppm B, +28 to +37 ‰, about 10 ‰ lighter in the deepest reservoir (W-12) excluding the gas well; oils at a few hundred ppb B.

δ11B in ‰ (per mil) Values of the same system

Standard : NIST SRM 951

ValueRangenMineral or matrixSource
36 ‰36 / 36 ‰2Sparta B reservoir formation water
Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 2 analyses, +36 to +36 (John Green 1 +36; Andrews 2 +36). B: John Green 1 85.1 ppm; Andrews 2 29.3 ppm. Shallowest reservoir; John Green 1 closest to the fault (85.1 ppm B).
Williams et al. (2001), The influence of organic matter on the boron isotope geochemistry…
35 ± 3 ‰33 / 37 ‰2W-8 reservoir formation water
Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 2 analyses, +33 to +37 (Kent 1 +37; Smith 2 +33). B: Kent 1 14.6 ppm; Smith 2 15.6 ppm. Intermediate reservoir. For Smith 2 the published ratio (4.1514) gives +29 ‰ with the measured standard, and that of Smith 2D (4.1688) +33 ‰: the reverse of the printed δ11B (+33 and +29 ‰), kept here.
Williams et al. (2001), The influence of organic matter on the boron isotope geochemistry…
28 ± 1 ‰28 / 29 ‰3W-12 reservoir formation water
Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 3 analyses, +28 to +29 (Kent 1D +28; Smith 2D +29; Bomer 3 +28). B: Kent 1D 13.1 ppm; Smith 2D 8.3 ppm; Bomer 3 18.6 ppm. Deepest reservoir. See the remark on Smith 2 and Smith 2D in the W-8 reservoir row.
Williams et al. (2001), The influence of organic matter on the boron isotope geochemistry…
37 ‰1formation water from a gas well at the field edge (W-12 reservoir)
Single analysis (El Plant 5). B 30.2 ppm. Value close to the upper reservoirs; preferential partitioning of 11B into the gas phase is discussed by the authors.
Williams et al. (2001), The influence of organic matter on the boron isotope geochemistry…
10 ± 6 ‰5 / 17 ‰3crude oil
Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 3 analyses, +5 to +17 (Andrews 2 +17; Smith 2 +9; Smith 2D +5). Boron extracted by Parr bomb combustion with mannitol trapping; oils at 228 to 1527 ppb B. Oil-water difference in the same well of -19 to -24 ‰ (Andrews 2: +17 and +36; Smith 2: +9 and +33; Smith 2D: +5 and +29); the authors see it as incorporation of aqueous boron rather than equilibrium fractionation.
Williams et al. (2001), The influence of organic matter on the boron isotope geochemistry…

Deposits of the same type

Cite this page

IsoFind Atlas (2026). Fordoche oil field: formation waters and oils, isotope signatures. https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/sites/champ-petrolier-de-fordoche-eaux-de-formation-et-huiles/ (accessed 2026-10-20).

@misc{isofind2026fordocheoilfieldformationwate,
  title = {Fordoche oil field: formation waters and oils, isotope signatures},
  author = {{IsoFind Atlas}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/sites/champ-petrolier-de-fordoche-eaux-de-formation-et-huiles/},
  note = {Accessed 2026-10-20}
}

Updated : 2026-10-20