El mundo de la exploración del petroleo. Estudio de caso: Nicaragua
Introduction Petroleum Potential in Nicaragua is documented by
oil and gas indications and also by existence of good traps in
both margins. This make the potential good to attract the invest
of the petroleum industry. The exploration activities are
regulated by the Law 286, “Ley Especial de
Exploración y Explotación de Hidrocarburos”
and its regulation, Decree No.43-98, and also by other laws and
norms relative with exploration activities. 2
Jamaica Colombia
Available Areas Map 4
5 Methods applied for research exploration of hydrocarbons in the
Caribbean of Nicaragua : ?STRATIGRAPHY ?SEISMIC REFLECTION
?DRILLING
? ? STRATIGRAPHY NEW PERSPECTIVE IN CARIBBEAN OF
NICARAGUA…. This dolomite section presents limestone with
predominant shale. The dolomitization part of the Punta Gorda
Formation is independent of the depositional environment and has
calcite material. Dolomite section can be observed in some
seismic section as a free reflexion. In the region of the Tyra
well this section is related with the Perlas reef
structure.
? NEW PERSPECTIVE IN CARIBBEAN OF NICARAGUA Dolomite section in
the Punta Gorda Formation of the Caribbean Margin of Nicaragua.
Dolomite Troy from Middle Eocene was recognized by Occidental in
the wells Miskito-1 and Miskito-2 in the Punta Gorda Formation
level. This dolomite sequences is stratigraphically similar to
the one identified in some wells from Jamaica and Honduras.
Offshore wells from Nicaragua indicate a range thickness of this
section from 85´to 400´. Eight wells drilled in the
Caribbean of Nicaragua identified this sequence and one well from
Honduras.
Legend Oligo-Miocene Unit I. Unit IV. Unit V. Unit II. Acoustic
Unit III. Basement
SEISMIC REFLECTION Total seismic in Caribbean of Nicaragua TOTAL
2D SEISMIC : 39. 596 Km 22, 918 Km 2D 3, 095 Km 2D 2D 4, 915
Km² 3D 2D Caribbean Caribbean Caribbean Caribbean Caribbean
Offshore Offshore Offshore Offshore Offshore 1966-1980. 1999/2000
2011 2011 2013 10
Areas Awarded for Oil Exploration and Exploitation Caribbean
Offshore of Nicaragua: 13 657 km2 3 922 km2 3 909 km2 3 325 km2 2
268 km2 Noble Energy Nicaragua Limited Noble Energy Nicaragua
Limited Infinity Energy Resources, Inc. Infinity Energy
Resources, Inc. 11
SEISMIC MAP 12
13 DRILLING Oil & Gas Indications of Wells Drilled in
Nicaragua
27 2013 Wells Map TOTAL WELL DRILLED: 14 26 Exploratory Wells 1
Exploratory Well Offshore Caribbean offshore Caribbean
1965-1974
Hydrocarbon Potential
WELL CORRELATION 86 BBLS of Oil in 351 min 16
Traps: 17 rock in Type of Basin: First well drilled onshore:
First well drilled offshore: Encourage Oil and gas shows: Good
Reservoir: Economic Basement: Back Arc basin Punta Gorda-1
Touche-1 (abandoned after a blowout at the total depth of 4420m)
Perlas-1 (accumulative production of 350 B/D asphaltic, 3223 mt,
Lower Eocene) Clastic and Carbonates Reached in
Twara-1,Centeno-1, Toro Cay-1, Miskito-1and Rama- 1 wells Late
Cretaceous: Sources rock: Reached by Nica-1 (Cretaceous source
rock is expected to be present on the basin Lower Eocene
(Kerogene type I and IV, marine type, Perlas-1) Eocene Carbonates
in Tuapi-1, produced 61 BOPD and 979 CMG, 3110 meters. The gas
recovered supports the hypothesis of a unique source rock in the
Eocene. No source rock was identified in the northern part
suggest the existence of an older source rock that has not been
drilled somewhere. Reservoir rock: Cay-1, Huani-1 y 2 Carbonate
and Clastic from Eocene and Oligo-Miocene, delta, carbonates
platform and reef, Miskito-2, Nasa Seal Rock: In the northern
part prodeltaic shale and carbonate (Oligo-Miocene, Upper
Eocene). Evaporites and shale were not found. Structural and
stratigraphic from Oligo-Miocene and Eocene underlying the
unconformity. Geothermal Gradient: Samples analysis: 3.5ºC
in the North, 3.0ºC in the Central part, and 2.5 ºC in
the South. Black shale outcropping in Siuna locality, overmature
source rock due to volcanic activity. Kerogene was as high as
77%. Cretaceous shale may act as an excellent source rock under
normal geothermal gradient. Source Huani-1 is Eocene or possible
older perhaps equivalent to Siuna samples. Cretaceous Black Shale
is expected to be found in the deepest part of the basin. This
source was reached in the Limon Basin in Costa Rica.
COMPANIES WHO HAVE WORKED IN THE CARIBBEAN, NICARAGUA SURVEY NAME
Buttes YEAR 1977 SHOT FOR Buttes SHOT BY Delta PROCESSED BY
Seiscom Delta KM. 1,729 Resources Inc. Chevron 1966-1980 Chevron
Western Western 3,951 Nicaragua Mobil Oil Co. Pure Oil Co. Shell
Oil Co. Texaco Oil Co. Union Oil Co. NCS99 1968-1969 1966
1966-1970 1974-1975 1973-1977 2000 Mobil Western Shell Texaco
Union Fugro- GS/Delta GSI GSI Union Fugro- GSI/Mobil GSI Digicon
Fugro-Geoteam 4,383 833 6,270 2,297 3,455 3,095 Geoteam Geoteam
NCSRE00 2000 Fugro- Fugro- Fugro-Geoteam 7,200 Reprocessed
Geoteam Geoteam data 18
Conclusion •Sedimentary thickness of the Miskito basin
varies from 2,000 meters in the South to 10,000 meters in the
North. These sedimentary succession was deposited during the
Tertiary to Recent Times. •Seismic interpretation and
structural map in the central and southern part indicate: •
Intense thrusting and strike slip faulting • Tectonic blocks
controlled the sedimentation, particularly the development of
reef system along the elevated parts of fault blocks. 19
• The Nica-Tinkham ridge is the result of trans-pressional
deformation along a major strike slip fault. • Several wells
drilled near the Perlas area had oil shows and the Perlas -1 well
tested 350 bop with 36 ºAPI in the Eocene carbonate
reservoirs. • Rich mature source rocks were also identified
in some wells. • The Lower Eocene Facies are related with
reef and fore reef system and also pinnacle reef system that can
act as good limestone reservoir. • Four source rock interval
were identified in Perlas-3 with organic matter from Middle to
Early Eocene. 20
• Dolomitic section were identified in some northern wells
with good thicknesses, which can act as a good reservoir. •
Carbonates with porosity between 5 to 10% were identified in the
Verolania basin, central part of the Miskito Basin. •
Faulting's dome structure with thick carbonate have been
identified in the Centeno Area. •The Miskito basin has a
sedimentary thickness that varies from 2,000 meters in the South
to 10,000 meters in the North, their sediments were deposited
during the Tertiary to Recent Times. Seismic interpretation and
structural map in the central and southern part indicate: •
Intense thrusting and strike slip faulting. • Tectonic
blocks controlled the sedimentation, particularly the development
of reef system along the elevated parts of fault blocks. 21
• Several wells drilled near the Perlas area had oil shows
and the Perlas -1 well producted 350 bop in the Eocene carbonate
reservoirs related with dolomitization of limestone. • The
Lower Eocene Facies are related with reef and fore reef system
and also pinnacle reef system that can act as good limestone
reservoir. • The Bahamas Reef Systems provides a perfect
analog for the sedimentary environment and facies geometry for
the Eocene offshore Nicaragua. 22