Geology of the Culberson Ore Body

The Culberson ore body is a bioepigenetic sulfur deposit located in the Delaware basin. Sulfur occurs in the Upper Permian Castile, Salado and Rustler Formations. Most of the ore body forms a subhorizontal layer within the Salado Formation. Abundant cave fill deposits of Rustler and younger lithologies occur within the Salado Formation and predate mineralization. The cave fill deposits provided porosity zones within the otherwise impermeable sulfate host rock and controlled sites of mineralization. A northeast trending fracture zone near the west edge of the ore body localized some deep mineralization and may have allowed migration of hydrocarbons from depth.