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Martinius, Allard W., Jan Hegner, Inge Kaas, Celia Bejarano, Xavier Mathieu, and Rune Mjøs, 2013, Geologic reservoir characterization and evaluation of the Petrocedeno Field, Early Miocene Oficina Formation, Orinoco Heavy Oil Belt, Venezuela, in F. J. Hein, D. Leckie, S. Larter, and J. R. Suter, eds., Heavy-oil and oil-sand petroleum systems in Alberta and beyond: AAPG Studies in Geology 64, p.103–131.

DOI:10.1306/13371590St643559

Copyright copy2013 by The American Association of Petroleum Geologists.

Geologic Reservoir Characterization and Evaluation of the Petrocedeno Field, Early Miocene Oficina Formation, Orinoco Heavy Oil Belt, Venezuela

Allard W. Martinius,1 Jan Hegner,2 Inge Kaas,3 Celia Bejarano,4 Xavier Mathieu,5 Rune Mjos6

1Statoil RampD, Arkitekt Ebbellsvei 10, N-7005 Trondheim, Norway (e-mail: [email protected])
2Total Oil amp Gas Venezuela, Nuevos Proyectos Faja-Geoscience Caracas, Venezuela (e-mail: [email protected])
3Statoil ASA, Forushagen, N-4035 Stavanger, Norway (e-mail: [email protected])
4Petrocedeno, Av. Nueva Esparta con Calle Cerro Sur, Centro Bahia Pozuelos, Torres C y D, Sector Venicia, Puerto La Cruz, Edo Anzoategui, Venezuela (e-mail: [email protected])
5Total, OML99-GSR, Port-Harcourt, Nigeria (e-mail: [email protected])
6Statoil ASA, Forushagen, N-4035 Stavanger, Norway (e-mail: [email protected])

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank Petrocedeno and the shareholders of Petrocedeno (PDVSA, Total EampP, and Statoil) for permission to publish this chapter. Particular gratitude is expressed to Jhonny Casas (former Petrocedeno sedimentologist, now with Gazprom, Venezuela), who contributed significantly to the detailed sedimentologic and stratigraphic picture of the Oficina Formation in Petrocedeno.

Furthermore, we thank J. E. Allers and R. Krigsvoll (Statoil); A. Linjordet (Statoil, now with Det Norske); L. DePazzis, M. C. Devilliers, M. Grausem, M. Levret, J.-P. Maret, and D. Pourtoy (all with Total EampP ); D. Soubeyrand (Total EampP, now with Shell); H. Morales (Petrocedeno); M. A. Exposito (Petrocedeno, now with Gazprom LA); J. Marcos (Petrocedeno, now with Baker Atlas); J. Peralta (Petrocedeno, now with Schlumberger); and E. Sampson (PDVSA) for their contributions to the understanding of the Oficina Formation in Petrocedeno.

Palynoflora analysis was conducted by E. Gonzalez-Guzman (Consultores Geostrat C.A., Venezuela). The ichnofabrics and trace fossils were analyzed in a pilot study by Luis Buatois (University of Saskatchewan, Canada). Lars Reistad (Statoil) skillfully and promptly drafted many of the computer-generated figures. Two anonymous reviewers are acknowledged for their suggestions and comments, which helped to keep the manuscript in focus. Fran Hein is gratefully acknowledged for coordination and assistance with manuscript editing.

ABSTRACT

More than 12 yr of field development and production at Petrocedeno (formerly Sincrudos de Oriente C.A.) in the Orinoco Heavy Oil belt, Venezuela, have generated a detailed picture of the three-dimensional (3-D) reservoir architecture, static and dynamic properties, and sedimentology of this important deposit. The Petrocedeno project is located along the foreland bulge on the south side of the eastern Venezuelan foredeep basin. Its hydrocarbon is derived mainly from marine source rocks from the early Paleocene to the Miocene; long-distance secondary migration occurred toward the foreland bulge. Traps are stratigraphic in nature, and lateral seal is provided by a combination of biodegraded hydrocarbons and increasingly immobile crude oil. A dense network of wells has enabled the construction of high-resolution static and dynamic models of the fluvial and deltaic reservoir units in the hydrocarbon-bearing lower member of the Oficina Formation.

This chapter describes the sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy of the Petrocedeno field and discusses implications for production strategies. Eight main facies associations have been defined based on specific stacking patterns of 15 recognized lithofacies. In combination with the identification of several key stratigraphic surfaces, 11 sequences have been determined. Facies distribution maps, as well as net-to-gross (N/G) maps, were constructed for each of these. The sequence-stratigraphic succession illustrates a development from a fluvial braidplain, with mostly sand-dominated braided and sinuous rivers at the base, to a mixed-energy (fluvial and tidal) delta and upper delta front environment, with numerous distributaries and mouth bars. Following maximum transgression, a low-gradient, tide-dominated delta developed that subsequently drowned and evolved into a proximal delta platform.

The high-resolution data set and the sedimentologic and sequence-stratigraphic models arising from it have enabled the optimization of cold production and the implementation of enhanced oil-recovery techniques in the Orinoco Heavy Oil belt.

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