Western Oregon-Washington

Commentary

While the WOWB has significant prospectivity. However, this is offset by Oregon's increased environmental activism, and is compounded by the seemingly unchecked rioting in Portland. This is further compounded by concern at the Federal level, and to what extent the Biden Administration will use Federal powers to override State legislation to prevent oil & gas development.

Updated

June 18, 2024

Location

Description

The WOWB occupies a complex geologic setting along the north-western continental margin of North America. The region overlies a major north-trending crustal boundary between the pre-Tertiary terranes of the Cascade and Klamath Basin and the mafic basement of the Oregon and Washington Coast Range (Eocene Crescent Formation and Siletz River Volcanics). The boundary fault between these terranes is exposed in two places, the southern part of Vancouver Island where the Leach River thrust fault is the crustal boundary and the southwestern part of Oregon. The eastern boundary fault likely is buried beneath the Puget Lowland and the Willamette Valley.

Summary

While the Basin has been widely explored, there remains prospectivity as its development has lagged its peers due to its relative isolation from the more oil & gas centric states to the east of the Rockies.