Continued exploration of the Continental Shelf, Gulf of Mexico
- Phillips Petroleum Co., Houston, TX (USA)
The offshore Gulf of Mexico area is an extensively explored basin that presents a substantial challenge to the delineation of economically viable petroleum exploration/development programs within today's business climate. To successfully explore this area it is necessary to identify the geologic scenarios with remaining reserve potential. To assist with this evaluation the prospects within this basin have been classified into three temporal categories or generations of plays. Generation 1 plays are quintessential structural traps related to salt tectonics and faulting. The majority of these types of plays have already been drilled in this basin those remaining are of limited economic return. Generation 2 plays are subtle traps, stratigraphic and strato-structural prospects, and are the present-day plays in this basin. Generation 3 plays are frontier or new plays. These include salt intrusion-related traps and complex deep plays. To effectively explore for these various prospect types, it is no longer sufficient to solely map structural leads or follow hot spots of activity. Exploration risks associated with generation 2 and 3 plays can be lowered by an infusion of good data and knowledgeable personnel. Recent advances in seismic technology provide data for areas that previously have been overlooked due to the lack of interpretable data for example, around the perimeters of salt domes, beneath salt intrusions, pinch-outs associated with unconformities, deep zones on the flanks of a structural feature. These technological advancements have also increased the reliability of geologic interpretations, which has allowed the formulation of new geological concepts, the reevaluation of previously explored generation 1 and 2 plays, and the initial evaluation of unexplored generation 2 and 3 prospect types.
- OSTI ID:
- 7091469
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-900605--
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA), Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA) Vol. 74:5; ISSN AABUD; ISSN 0149-1423
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000 -- Geosciences
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CARIBBEAN SEA
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CONTINENTAL SHELF
EXPLORATION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
GULF OF MEXICO
MINERAL RESOURCES
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESOURCES
SALT DEPOSITS
SEAS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SURFACE WATERS
TECTONICS