Washington Department of Natural Resources Bulletin No. 62 Foraminifera, Stratigraphy, and Paleoecology of the Quinault Formation, Point Grenville-Raft River Coastal Area, Washington

In recent years increasing interest has been shown in oil and gas exploration along the Washington coast, both onshore and offshore. To provide basic geologic data that can be used in evaluating the petroleum resource potential, the Division of Mines and Geology of the Department of Natural Resources is now engaged in detailed geologic studies along the coast of Washington. Bulletin No. 62 is the first technical report on this project.

Foraminifera (microfossils) contained in the Quinault Formation are described and illustrated, and from them interpretations are made of the paleoecology and stratigraphy of the formation. Such technical data from the limited onshore outcrops of the formation are particularly significant, because the formation or its stratigraphic equivalent is believed to be far more widespread on the adjacent Continental Shelf, where it is much less accessible for examination. These strata hold perhaps the greatest favor as a potential petroleum reservoir, both on and offshore.

Our coastal geologic studies are being conducted by Dr. Weldon W. Rau, a geologist on the Division of Mines and Geology staff for the past 10 years, and who was with the U.S. Geological Survey for 10 years prior to joining the Division. During this time he has directed essentially all his research to biostratigraphy of the Tertiary rocks of western Washington and Oregon and therefore is well qualified to make the current studies.

Although data and conclusions presented in this report are of interest primarily for petroleum exploration, the basic geologic information may well be useful in other fields of geologic exploration and of some general educational value also.

MARSHALL T. HUNTTING, Supervisor
Division of Mines and Geology
Olympia, Washington

November 12, 1970