Reexploration in Reconcavo basin, Brazil
The Reconcavo basin, a major oil and gas rift basin in northeast Brazil, has reached exploration maturity relative to traditional structural trap prospects. The basin has gone through 2 phases: an initial phase from 1940 to 1960 when the major existing fields were discovered, and a development phase from 1960 to 1980, during which addition of new field reserves was small, recovery factors of the major fields were increased, and production decline began. In the early 1980s a third phase, one of reexploration, was initiated, with exploration oriented toward prospects not systematically tested before, and exploitation strategies aimed at increasing recovery from existing fields. In the past, the exploration in Reconcavo was for structural highs with two targets: a basal Jurassic prerift fluvial section brought into structural contact with a core of lacustrine source beds, and a supra-core Cretaceous deltaic section that is part of the rift fill. Discoveries of stratigraphic traps in the intermediate turbiditic rift section were commonly fortuitous, made while testing structural highs. Current structural and stratigraphic analysis of this tract of the rift fill shows that it consists of turbiditic and nonturbiditic sublacustrine fans, and indicates that the more prospective areas tend to be the structural lows of the prerift section. A major element of the reexploration strategy is testing these combined structural-stratigraphic prospects in the rift section.
- Research Organization:
- PETROBRAS, Salvador, Brazil
- OSTI ID:
- 6328386
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8405216-
- Journal Information:
- Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States) Vol. 68:4; ISSN AAPGB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Geology and major oil plays, Coastal Margin basins, Brazil
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Related Subjects
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
BRAZIL
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
EXPLORATION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
GEOLOGY
LATIN AMERICA
MINERAL RESOURCES
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
RESERVES
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SOUTH AMERICA
STRATIGRAPHY