Criteria for successful exploration for Miocene reef production in the Philippines

Conference · Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)

OSTI ID:6347726

Downey, M W ^[1]

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1. Roxanna Oil Co., Katy, TX (USA)

An abundance of modern geologic, geophysical, and geochemical data has been provided to interested members of the petroleum industry by the Philippine government, in cooperation with the World Bank. These data have been analyzed to assess whether more, and larger, Miocene reef fields should be expected in the Philippines. In the past decade, exploration by Cities Service (OXY), Amoco, Alcorn, and others has resulted in the discovery of several small Miocene reef and Miocene sandstone oil fields in offshore Palawan. Phillips/Shell also made a significant gas discovery of about 750 bcf in a Palawan Miocene reef that is currently uneconomic to develop given the water depth (1,090 ft) and distance from users. Miocene reefs are commonly buried within Miocene clastics, and, where these impinging clastics are porous, they allow pathways for hydrocarbons to leak from the Miocene reefs. Drape closure is an important positive factor in assessing seal risk for Philippine Miocene reefs. Source rocks to charge middle and upper Miocene reefs are typically restricted to lower Miocene horizons. Geothermal gradients are modest in much of the Philippine offshore, and only select areas provide sufficient burial to mature and expel significant hydrocarbons. It is predicted by the author that additional, larger, and highly profitable Miocene reef fields will be found by future explorers in areas where Miocene reefs have drape closure top seals and are adjacent to deeply buried Miocene source rocks.

• OSTI ID: 6347726
• Report Number(s): CONF-900702-; CODEN: AABUD
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA), Vol. 74:6; Conference: 5. Circum-Pacific energy and mineral resources conference, Honolulu, HI (USA), 29 Jul - 3 Aug 1990; ISSN 0149-1423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
58 GEOSCIENCES
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
EXPLORATION
PHILIPPINES
GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS
GEOLOGIC SURVEYS
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
MATURATION
PETROLEUM INDUSTRY
POROSITY
REEFS
RESERVOIR ROCK
SANDSTONES
SOURCE ROCKS
TERTIARY PERIOD
ASIA
CENOZOIC ERA
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
INDUSTRY
ISLANDS
MINERAL RESOURCES
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SURVEYS
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
580000 - Geosciences