A New Upper Oligocene Oil Play in the Southern Burgos Basin, Mexico

Antonio Cuevas Leree¹, Rogelio Muñoz-Cisneros², Pedro Silva-Saldivar², Victor Hugo De la Rosa-R², Esmer O. Rivas-R², Jesus Gonzalez-O², and Ramiro Fernandez-Turner². (1) Activo Regional de Exploracion, Pemex E&P, Edif. Administrativo 4o Piso, Interior Campo Pemex, Poza Rica, Ver, 93370, Mexico, phone: 782 8261239, fax: 782 8261239, jacuevasl@pep.pemex.com, (2) Activo Integral Burgos, Pemex E&P, Boulevard Lázaro Cardenas 615, Col. Anzalduas, Reynosa, Tamps, 88630, Mexico

The discovery of oil in a new play of Upper Oligocene shoreface sandstones has increased prospectivity of the Tertiary in the southern part of the Burgos Basin. This clastic succession was deposited by a deltaic system that had a sediment dispersion pattern not related to the Rio Grande Embayment but to uplifted terrains along the Sierra Madre Oriental Thrust Belt. Geochemical modeling indicates a Tithonian origin for the oil and the existence of a generation kitchen adjacent to the discoveries, implying migration of light oil (46° API) over a few kilometers. The listric faults that have contributed to the formation of traps have also been the main migration pathways connecting source rocks to traps.

The tested intervals are fine-grained sandstones with a gross thickness of 600 meters, lying at 2600 to 2900 m below sea level. Porosity and permeability are between 11 and 17% and 0.5 to 21 milidarcys, respectively. Sandstone resistivity typically varies from 2 to 10 ohm-m. These rocks produce at estimated rates of 4000 bopd and 9 MMscfd of gas. Original potential resource estimation of the prospect is close to 100 MMboe. According to play analysis of the region, this Upper Oligocene play could have up to 5000 km2 of prospective area.

North American Provinces: USA, Mexico, Canada—Onshore (AAPG)
AAPG Annual Meeting 2004: Embrace the Future, Celebrate the Past Technical Program