By integrating geological, geochemical, and geophysical data and using Temispack software, a two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) geological-numerical model is being developed for the sedimentary basins and petroleum systems in the Kayab offshore area.

The elements and processes of this petroleum system are intimately tied to its geodynamic history. The Oxfordian, Kimmeridgian, and Tithonian series contain source rocks buried to depths of between 4000 and 7500 m (13,123 and 24,606 ft). These sedimentary units are confined between autochthonous salt horizons, and allochthonous walls and intrusive bodies of salt. Salt is therefore a critical factor in the maturation of organic material (kerogen) in these strata. Salt-bounded subbasins are identified in which hydrocarbons were generated. The proximity to basement and the high thermal conductivity of the salt have generated liquid hydrocarbons from these source rocks. The numerical simulation of the shallower subbasins indicates that thermally immature conditions prevail, as in the case of the large Tunich structure.

Emphasis is placed on the importance of compression and halokinesis in focusing hydrocarbon migration toward Cretaceous breccia and limestone reservoirs within compressional stage anticlines and against salt wall structures.

The 2-D and 3-D numerical simulation permits the definition of drainage areas and petroleum accumulations in the Kayab area. In a preliminary manner, it has been possible to define the prospective areas and initially quantify the amount of trapped hydrocarbons. A hierarchy of economically viable prospects has been derived from the numerical simulation in this frontier region. These studies are fundamental in understanding this part of the marine region, presently characterized by heavy oil (Cantarell and Ku-Maloob-Zaap), and in predicting the existence of an important new heavy oil province in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico.