Preliminary report on an exploratory drill hole: New Madrid test well-1-X in Southeast Missouri

Abstract

As part of the U.S. Geological Survey's investigation of earthquake hazards in the upper Mississippi embayment, a test well (NMTW-l-X) was drilled in the "bootheel" of Missouri, 21 km south-southwest of the town of New Madrid. The primary purpose of the well was to obtain in situ stress measurements from zones within subsurface Paleozoic rocks using the hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracture) technique. Such measurements determine the character and magnitude of the active tectonic stress field in an area and are helpful in evaluating the potential for faulting (Zoback and others, 1978). The new data about the active tectonic stress field can then be used to evaluate the various theories that have been proposed to explain the genesis and characteristics of the upper Mississippi embayment earthquakes. A second goal of the test well was to extensively study the post-Paleozoic stratigraphy in the area. Detailed stratigraphic information would provide a better understanding of the structural framework of the upper Mississippi embayment. Accurate knowledge of the stratigraphy would also help to identify the reflecting horizons that were recorded in a series of seismic reflection profiles that the U.S. Geological Survey had previously run throughout the upper Mississippi embayment. To strengthen the correlation between reflecting horizons and stratigraphic units, one of the reflection profiles was run within 10 m of the well. The stratigraphy and structure of the New Madrid, Mo., area are, at present, poorly understood. Only a handful of deep wells and test holes, some with only generalized driller's logs and few with accompanying geophysical logs, are available to aid in interpreting the subsurface geology of the upper Mississippi embayment. Extensive paleontologic and palynologic studies are planned to assist in identifying formal stratigraphic units and to help define the depositional history of the sediments. For the Tertiary and Cretaceous sequences, these investigations will also yield valuable biostratigraphic data by defining the biofacies changes that occur between the well-studied marine facies in the southern part and the time-equivalent, continental and nearshore-deltaic facies in the northern part of the embayment. This report was prepared to release preliminary data obtained during the drilling phase of the test well. It includes a short text describing mechanical operations and history of the drilling, some initial stratigraphic interpretations of the test-well data, and a brief discussion of studies generated by the project which are now in progress. Attached appendices contain a field driller's log and geophysical logs. In order to maintain consistency with standard drilling usage, measurements related to drilling operations are cited in English units.