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Abstract


 
Chapter from: SG 42:  Applications of 3-D Seismic Data to Exploration and Production

Edited by: 
Paul Weimer and Thomas L. David

Authors:
Martin H. Link, Christopher K. Taylor, Nicolás G. Muñoz J., Emilio Bueno, and Pedro J. Muñoz


Published 1996 as part of Studies in Geology 42
Copyright © 1996 The American Association of Petroleum Geologists.  All Rights Reserved.

*Editorial Note: Page numbers in this digital version (HTML and PDF) do not correspond to those of the hardcopy.
Otherwise, the two are the same.
 

CHAPTER 7

Chapter 7: 3-D Seismic Examples from Central Lake Maracaibo, Maraven's Block I Field, Venezuela

Martin H. Link, Christopher K. Taylor*ý, Nicolás G. Muñoz J.**, Emilio Bueno*, and Pedro J. Muñoz*

 

Link, M. H., C. K. Taylor, N. G. Muñoz J., E. Bueno, and P. J. Muñoz, 3-D seismic examples from Central Lake Maracaibo, Maraven's Block I Field, Venezuela, in P. Weimer and T. L. Davis, eds., AAPG Studies in Geology No. 42 and SEG Geophysical Developments Series No. 5, AAPG/SEG, Tulsa, p. 69-82.

Paleocene Guasare Formation. In between, eight seismic sequences occur within the Eocene horst section. The adjacent stratigraphic sections east and west of the horst block are thicker than the East Flank section. The C sands in Block I form a retrogradational clastic sequence deposited as transgressive (70-80%), highstand (10-15%), and lowstand wedge and incised valley fill (10-15%) systems tracts with prominent marine-flooding surfaces separating these systems tracts. The main reservoirs are thick-bedded transgressive sandstone deposits.

INTRODUCTION

The use of 3-D seismic data to interpret old producing fields has become very important in field development. When integrated with well, core, and production data, 3-D seismic data provide the best tool to determine the stratigraphic and structural framework for an area. Maraven, S.A., one of Venezuela's three national oil companies, has been using 3-D seismic data to locate new wells by accurately defining faults and stratigraphic terminations/pinchouts and by developing new geologic models to better develop their existing fields. In addition, the mapping of seismic horizons and amplitudes combined with time and horizon slices have been used to determine reservoir trends in fields.

The Maracaibo Basin is an intermontaine basin today, lying between the Perija and Merida Andes in the northwest corner of Venezuela. Maraven's Block I is 10 ¥ 22 km and is in the north-central part of Lake Maracaibo along the Icotea fault (Figure 1). This field has more than 550 wells, which have produced more than 1800 MMBO during the past 40 years, mainly from structural traps. The Block I area is the southern continuation of the Lagunillas field and the northern part of the Lama field (Delgado, 1992). The purposes of these examples are to show the use of 3-D seismic data to (1) define the structure and stratigraphy of this Block by integrating older log, core, and production data, (2) to develop a seismic and sequence stratigraphic model for the Lower Eocene Misoa C sands in the East Flank, and (3) highlight two successful wells that were drilled using 3-D seismic technology. The 3-D seismic data allow, for the first time, the complex fault relationships of the Icotea and Eastern Boundary faults to be resolved and major sequence boundaries and systems tracts to be recognized. The 3-D seismic data were utilized to illustrate some of the various methodologies used to better visualize the reservoir at both a regional and a prospect scale.

METHODOLOGY

The structure and stratigraphy of Maraven's Block I were re-interpreted using 3-D seismic data integrated with well logs, cores, older 2-D seismic lines, and synthetic seismograms. Both Landmark and Charisma software with Sun

ABSTRACT

The structural and stratigraphic framework of Maraven's Block I was re-interpreted using 3-D seismic and existing data as part of an evaluation of the remaining oil potential. More than 1800 MMBO have been produced from Block I in the past 40 years, mainly from structural traps. In order to maintain production levels, it has become increasingly important to define the seismic stratigraphic framework for the area and to accurately locate faults and stratigraphic pinchouts.

The dominant structures are the Icotea fault, its conjugate fault system, and the Eastern Boundary fault. The most prominent fault is the NE-striking Icotea fault, which subdivides the area into two main structural blocks, a graben in the West Flank and a horst in the East Flank. The Icotea fault is a highly complex fault zone with a long history of deformation. It is a nearly continuous fault zone with both vertical and lateral offsets and is locally inverted. Along the eastern flank of the Icotea, prominent reverse-fault bounded upthrown blocks, called the Attic, have developed. Along the western flank, contraction has re-activated listric faults into reverse and thrust faults. Major northwest-striking normal faults delineate a large paleoarch that occurs in the south-center of the East Flank. This phase of faulting produced small horst and graben blocks bounded by normal faults that dip to the northeast and southwest. The Eastern Boundary fault is subparallel to the Icotea fault and is an east-dipping normal fault that has been locally inverted and occurs in a synclinal area of the block. Two play concepts, utilizing (1) horizontal wells in Attic and (2) vertical wells along the Eastern Boundary fault, were successfully tested during this study.

The stratigraphic section includes, from oldest to youngest, pre-Triassic basement rocks; the Jurassic graben-fill Quinta Formation; the Cretaceous Rio Negro, Cogollo Group, La Luna, Colon, and Mito Juan formations; the Paleocene Guasare Formation; the Eocene Misoa Formation; the Miocene La Rosa, Lagunillas, and La Puerta formations; and the Quaternary El Milagro Formation. Only the lower part of the Eocene Misoa Formation (C sands) is preserved in Block I, and most of the Eocene B sands and all of the Pauji were either eroded or not deposited in this area. The main reservoirs occur in the Eocene Misoa Formation and the basal Miocene Santa Barbara member of the Lagunillas Formation. Sedimentation occurred throughout the Eocene and was strongly influenced by tectonism. The Eocene section in the horst block is up to 760 m thick and is bracketed by two major unconformities. The upper angular unconformity places the basal Miocene Santa Barbara member (16-25 Ma) over the Eocene Misoa C sands (45-54 Ma). The lower disconformity (54 Ma) occurs at the top of the 
 

 

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