pluspetrol

Carmen Field, Marañón

Basin, Peru
Increasing Reserves and
Exploration Potential with
Sequence Stratigraphy

Alejandro Chalco y Leoncio Gonzales

Pluspetrol Norte S.A., Exploration Department
Av. Republica de Panama 3055, San Isidro, Lima 27, PERU
achalco@pluspetrol.com.ar
 VIVIAN FORMATION GEOLOGICAL SETTING
pluspetrol W CARMEN – FORESTAL COMPOSITE SEISMIC SECTION E
CARMEN FIELD FORESTAL FIELD

A seismic anomaly changed a

marginal field into a new play
for the basin
Carmen oilfield located in the Northern Marañón Basin (Perú),
TOPLAP

PALEOGENE
was identified in 2D seismic and drilled in 1974.After two LOWER TERTIARY RED BEDS
unsuccessful confirmatory wells to the north of the discovery well,
Carmen was downgraded as a marginal field with little potential
for further exploration.
A small seismic anomaly drilled after acquiring 3D seismic close
to the Carmen 1X discovery well encountered a thicker reservoir TOPLAP
with a different OWC. An integrated study of seismic, core, log
and image log data demonstrates that Carmen is a stratigraphic
trap controlled by system tract geometry.
A seismic anomaly changed a marginal field into a new play for
the basin.

MARAÑÓN BASIN BASE K MAP

ORIENTE BASIN

00
20 CACHIYACU
BASELAP
30
00

VIVIAN
CRETACEOUS
400
5000

1AB BLOCK
0

CARMEN

FO
ASIN

MARAÑÓN BASIN
CHONTA
OB

CA
TIAG
SAN

50 Km

1AB BLOCK
2 km
Carmen oilfield is located in Carmen to Forestal seismic
the northern part of the montage shows local
Marañon basin. variation in Vivian
It belongs to the Subandean sismofacies. 3D Seismic 2D Seismic
petroleum province, that runs Vivian reflector is a doublet
along the foreland basins of with significant sismofacies
CARMEN – FORESTAL STRUCTURAL SECTION CARMEN – FORESTAL STRATIGRAPHIC SECTION
Venezuela, Colombia Ecuador heterogeneity, that is partially
W (CHONTA MARKER FLAT) E
and Perú, as well as to the truncated eastwards against
Vivian - Chonta/Raya (!) the Forestal field paleohigh. CA-1511 CA- 1510 CA-1503 CA-1505 CA- 1506 FO- 1
W E
petroleum system. Its source The upper peak of the doublet
FO- 1
seal and reservoir rocks are is light green, the lower one is
Cretaceous. red. Note the higher continuity CACHIYACU 4 PS
of the lower peak. VIVIAN 2 3 ES / SB
1
CHONTA PS FS
Carmen Forestal structure and stratigraphic sections with the CHONTA MKR TS
same strike as the seismic montage
CA-1511 CA- 1510 CA-1503 CA-1505 CA- 1506
Vivian thickness variations become evident in the structure CARMEN – FORESTAL STRATIGRAPHIC SECTION
section (near right). An erosion surface is observable along the (CACHIYACU FLAT)
W E
stratigraphic section flattened at Chonta marker flooding surface
CA-1511 CA- 1510 CA-1503 CA-1505 CA- 1506 FO- 1
(far upper right).The stratigraphic section flattened at Cachiyacu CACHIYACU
Formation maximum flooding surface (far lower right) shows a VIVIAN
laterally continuous seal rock covering a syntectonic (?) Vivian. CHONTA
MFS
CACHIYACU TST TS
LST PS
CHONTA MKR VIVIAN FSST
Alejandro Chalco CHONTA PS
Pluspetrol Norte S.A., Exploration Department
Av. Republica de Panama 3055, San Isidro, Lima 27, PERU CHONTA MKR
achalco@pluspetrol.com.ar
 CA -1 CORE
SILICICLASTIC
ROCKS

ENVIRONMENT
DEPOSITIONAL
SANDSTONE MEDIUM
CLAYSTONE MUDSTONE

CONGLOM.
FORMATION

LITHOLOGY

OIL SHOWS

FACIES
DEPTH

CORE
(MD)
PARASEQUENCES SYSTEM

COARSE

< 1 cm.

> 10 cm.
SILTSTONE
VERY FINE

VERY COARSE

3 a 10 cm.
ARGILLITE

FINE

1 a 3 cm.
TRACTS
(DRILLING
CORRECTED
DEPTH)

CARMEN FIELD VIVIAN DEPTH MAP CARMEN FIELD ARBITRARY LINE A-A’ (2995,65)
2998,92
2999
(2995,73)

C:I. 3 meters W EE
W
CA-10 3000
(2996,73)

ES

TIDAL INFLUENCE ?
AC/P?

3001
(2997,73)
LST
C 3002
DS/TSE
(2998,73)

1
H
DS
A’ 3003
(2999,73)
NV
DS/FS
3004
(3000,73)

AC(f)

CACHIYACU 3005
(3001,73)

ECH SST 3003 m

VIVIAN 3006
(3002,73)

A
CHONTA 3007
(3003,73)

3008
(3004,73)
3008,37

B’
(3005,10)

3009
(3005,73) NV

NV

3010
(3006,73)
AC(f)

NV
ECH
1 km 3011
(3007,73)
?

B C’ NV

ECH/LSE

F L U V I A L
3012
(3008,73)

DS/FS
H

3013
(3009,73)

CARMEN FIELD ARBITRARY LINE B-B’ 3014

(3010,73)
NV

ECH
W CA-1511 CA-1 CA-E E
FSST

V
3015
(3011,73) ECH

I
ECH

V
3016
(3012,73)

I
ECH

A
3017 AC(f)
(3013,73)

N
CACHIYACU
W E 2

3018
(3014,73)

VIVIAN
3019

CHONTA (3015,73)

ECH SST 3019 m

3020
(3016,73)

3021
(3017,73)

ECH/LSE
3022
(3018,73)

3023
(3019,73)

DS

ESTUARINE
1 km 3024
(3020,73)
Py
AF(s,f)

3025
DS
(3021,73)

SST 3022 m
W-E trending seismic sections showing Vivian sismofacies. 3026
(3022,73)
C
DS
Carmen Field depth map for the top of Vivian Fm Py Py

The section shows the GR logs for some of the Carmen wells. The green ES
Carmen depth map is based on 3D seismic and well data. The field comprises two closures and 3027
(3023,73)

rectangle is the cored interval. The red and green triangles outline Vivian 3027,27
(3024,00)
NV
NV

a structural ramp that goes out of the 3D survey towards the NE.
system tracts. For the location of the seismic sections please refer to the 3028
(3024,73)

depth map.
Carmen field was discovered with 2D seismic acquired in the early 70’s. The discovery well 3029
(3025,73) Py
DS
was the Carmen 1X, was drilled in 1974 in the western closure.It encountered oil in the Vivian
A/PI

Formation (Campanian) and the Chonta sand member (Coniacian). The second well, Carmen 5, 3030
(3026,73)

encountered a thin oil column in Vivian and was wet in the Chonta sand. The third well, Vivian Formation core in the Carmen 1X well is dominated by the ?

3031
3
Carmen 10, was wet. Falling Stage System Tract (FSST).
(3027,73)

?
SST & SH 3027 m
The 3D seismic acquired in 1997 was used to drill the Carmen Este 1X well in the Eastern Vivian Formation is a fluvio-estuarine sandstone of Campanian age. Its 3032
(3028,73)
Py

closure. It is structurally, as high as the Carmen 1X well in Vivian, but it encountered a thicker lower part is composed of agrading to prograding beds, thinning upward
oil column, with a deeper OWC (-2752 meters SSD for the Ca-1X against -2763 meters SSD and with shallowing upwards facies (FSST). The uppermost part is
3033
(3029,73) Py

ES SB

OFFSHORE
for the Ca-Este 1X). The remaining wells drilled in both closures confirmed the differences in composed of agrading to retrograding beds of the Lowstand System Tract
PO 4 ? Py
1a

CHONTA
3034

reservoir thickness, oil column thickness and OWC depth that existed between the two (LST).
(3030,73)

HST
closures. The photographs show typical fluvioestuarine lithofacies encountered in 3035
(3031,73)
1

3035,50

Carmen 1X core. (3032,23)

One of the two wells drilled to the North of the eastern closure (CA-1506), encountered a third
SH 3035 m
and higher OWC (-2740 meters SSD).
 CA -1508 CORE
SILICICLASTIC
ROCKS
VIVIAN SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY FRAMEWORK CA-1502 FMI - CACHIYACU TST

ENVIRONMENT
DEPOSITIONAL
S ANDS TONE
CLA YSTONE

CONGL OM.
FORMATION

LITHOLOGY

OIL SHOWS

POROSITY

FACIES
DEPTH

CORE
(MD)

(%)
ARGILLITE

SILTS TO NE
VERY FI NE

COARSE
VERY CO ARSE
< 1 cm.
1 a 3 cm.
3 a 10 cm.
> 10 cm.
MUDS TONE

FI NE
MEDIUM

PARASEQUENCES SYSTEM
TRACTS CA -1502 CORE CACHIYACU

10

20

35
0

CARMEN FIELD ARBITRARY LINE C-C’ SILICICLASTIC

ROCKS

ENVIRONMENT
DEPOSITIONAL

POROSITY
3043

SANDSTONE MEDIUM
CLAYSTONE MUDSTONE

CONGLOM.
FORMATION
I Py G

LITHOLOGY
?

OIL SHOWS
PARASEQUENCES SYSTEM

(%)
FACIES
CORE
K
? A G/P (1) DEPTH

DS S N
K
Py G (MD) TRACTS

COARSE

< 1 cm.

> 10 cm.
SILTSTONE
VERY FINE

VERY COARSE

3 a 10 cm.
ARGILLITE

FINE

1 a 3 cm.
K K A G/P (2)
3044 1
K
Py
1504 1508 E 1502 1503 1505 1506 (DRILLING

10

20

30
DEPTH
CORRECTED)

3045
K K

DS
MIDDL E SHOREFACE (S TO RM INFLUENCE)

K 3036,57

3046
K
K
A G/P (2) DS (3040,07)

3037
(3040,50)
?

DS
K

Py G? AG/P(1)
K K

3047 3038 Py Py
(3041,50)

?
TSE ?

?
DS
3048
FS 3039
(3042,50)

DS CACHIYACU DS
3049 3040

ECH DS

FLUVIO - ESTUARINE
(3043,50)
K

A G/P (1)
VIVIAN AG/P(2)

3050 ECH 3041

(3044,50)
Py
DS
CHONTA
3051

K
ECH 3042
(3045,50)
Py
DS

STACKED CHANNELS
2

SST 3040 m
FLUVIAL

3052
ES 3043
(3046,50)
ES CA-1502 FMI
ECH
A C/P

3053 ECH 3044

Py

LST FSST - LST LIMIT

K
(3047,50) Py
TSE
ECH ACg/P

V
K

ECH
K
K A F ??
3054 K K 3045

I
(3048,50)

V
3055
LST 3046
1

I
(3049,50)

ECH

A
AC
3056
ECH/LSE

N
3047
(3050,50)

3057 ?
DS
Py
3048
(3051,50)
ES
A F (s,f)
ES
3058

G?
ES 1 km 3049
(3052,50)

3059
3050
(3053,50)
FSST Fluvial
ES

SAND
DS AC/P

ECH
V

3060
N-S trending seismic section showing Vivian sismofacies.

FLAT
3051
A F (f,w) (3054,50)
C

MI ?? The section shows the GR logs for some of the Carmen wells. G
ECH
3061 Py
ES 3052
ECH
The upper part of Vivian amplitude doublet forms to different clinoforms.
I

(3055,50)
MI ?
FS ECH
3062
The wells encountered a different OWC in each of them. 3053
AC

DS
(3056,50)
ECH
V

3063 3
FS DS
The green rectangle is the cored interval. The red and green triangles 3054
(3057,50) ?

ES/LSE
C

SAND FLAT
SUBTIDAL
ECH outline Vivian system tracts. For the location of the seismic sections please AF(s,f)
I

?
3064 (3058,50)
3055
3055,07
FLUV IO-ESTUARINE

DS refer to the depth map. (3058,57)

CA-1502 FMI - VIVIAN-CHONTA

3065
A

ECH SEQUENCE BOUNDARY

3066

SST 3052 m
N

Fluvial
3067

MI

3068
ECH VIVIAN

3069
ES

ES FSST
3070
DROWNING SURFACE DS
ECH
3071
TRANSGRESSIVE SURFACE OF EROSION TSE
ES
3072
FLOODING SURFACE FS
???
ES
3073
ES CHANNEL EROSION ECH
Vivian Formation cores in the Carmen 1508 AND 1502 wells have thick the Falling Stage System Tracts (FSST) and a thick
3074 LOWSTAND EROSION LSE Lowstand System Tracts (LST).
MI
ES In both wells the lower part is composed of agrading to prograding beds (note the abundance of erosive surfaces), thinning upward and
3075
4
MI
EROSIVE SURFACE ES
with shallowing upwards facies (FSST), while the upper part is composed of agrading to retrograding beds of the Lowstand System Tract
ES SEQUENCE BOUNDARY SB (LST), with abundant drowning surfaces.
3076
MI

ES FALLING STAGE SYSTEM TRACT FSST

3077
ECH The 1502 core photographs show typical fluvioestuarine lithofacies.
LOWSTAND SYTEM TRACT LST The 1502 Log images display the key bounding surfaces that define the limits of Vivian system tracts.
3078

ECH TRANSGRESSIVE SYSTEM TRACT TST

3079

ES HIGHSTAND SYSTEM TRACT HST

3080

ES PROGRADING
3081 ES
MI ?
ES RETROGRADING
3082
20º
 CARMEN FIELD - VIVIAN ISOCHRON MAP CARMEN FIELD ARBITRARY LINE B-B’ CARMEN-FORESTAL SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY MODEL
C.I. 1 milisecond W E W E
CA-1511 CA-1 CA-E CARMEN FORESTAL
SL
HST HST
LTRB CHONTA FM
(SANTONIAN)
TST
W CACHIYACU E

LST
VIVIAN
LST (NORTHERN LOBE) FSST
EROSION
CHONTA HST SL FSST VIVIAN FM
(LOWERVCAMPANIAN)

B’
LST (SOUTHERN LOBE)
SL LST
B 1 km VIVIAN FM
(UPPERVCAMPANIAN)

CARMEN STRUCTURAL SECTION

SL
TST
W CA - 1 CA - E E
CACHIYACU FM
THICK
LTRB HST (UPPERCMAASTRICHTIAN)
CACHIYACU TST

VIVIAN LST
HST
THIN FSST
CHONTA SB
HST
YAHUARANGO FM
(LOWERCMAASTRICHTIAN)
1 km

FALLING STAGE SYSTEM TRACT FSST SHELF SHALES

Vivian 3D seismic isochron map for the Carmen area showing LST “lobes”.
The areas in green are thick, the areas in orange to light brown are thin.
The areas were Vivian amplitude is thick enough to form a doublet are restricted to
the Eastern side of the 3D survey. The map has a red line outlining the geometry and
distribution of the two “lobes” were Vivian amplitude forms a doublet .
The wells drilled within the “lobes” have thick Lowstand System Tract (LST)
deposits, but the wells drilled out of the lobes are composed dominantly by Falling
Stage System Tract (FSST) deposits.
Filtered seismic shows two
Vivian Fm sismofacies, each
with a different geometry
Imaging Vivian sytem tracts in seismic and wireline log sections.
LOWSTAND SYSTEM TRACT LST SHELF CARBONATES
The upper seismic section is an arbitrary line across the Carmen 1X at
the Carmen Este 1X well. Please refer to the isochron map to see the TRANSGRESSIVE SYSTEM TRACT TST BASIN SHALES
section strike. The section has the Falling Stage System Tract (FSST)
HIGHSTAND SYSTEM TRACT HST FLUVIOESTUARINE SANDSTONES
painted yellow and the Lowstand System Tract (LST), painted pink.
FLUVIAL SANDSTONES AND CLAYS
The seismic section is filtered to enhance Vivian amplitude doublet. The
filtered seismic shows two different Vivian Fm sismofacies, each with a Vivian sequence stratigraphy model.
different geometry and architecture. The upper upper peak in the doublet Model based on the integration of core, wireline and image log data. The onset of Vivian deposition starts
is laterally discontinuous and heterogeneous. The lower peak is laterally with the erosion of the previous sequence (the upper part of the Chonta Fm), during a Lower Campanian
continuous and homegeneous. relative fall in base level, that shifted the shoreline westwards. Evidence for this erosion can be observed in
the wireline log correlation of the Carmen and Forestal wells in the first panel. The sediments start
The lower section is a structure log section with the same strike as the depositing in the Carmen area in a prograding fluvioestuarine setting that belongs to a Falling Stage
seismic section and with the same color scheme to differentiate the FSST System Tract (FSST).
and the LST.
As the base level starts to rise, agrading to retrograding fluvioestuarine sediment deposition is restricted to
A limestone key bed inside the previous sequence (Chonta Fm) shows
that a Carmen 1X is over a Cretaceous paleohigh. This paleohigh seems
the East of the Carmen area forming a Lowstand System Tract (LST), composed of SW-NE trending
“lobes”. The lobes can be observed in the Isochron map in this panel.
to restrict in part de thickness of the LST.
A fast rise of base level during the Maastrichtian (Cachiyacu Fm) , probably related to Andean tectonic
The paleohigh might be related to Late Cretaceous tectonics that mark events, allows the widespread and laterally continuous deposition of shelf shales. An equally fast regresion
the onset of the Andean Orogeny. deposits the fluvial sediments that form the Highstand System Tract (HST), that complete the sequence.
 VIVIAN SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY PRODUCTION AND EXPLORATION POTENTIAL
pluspetrol
CARMEN - BOPD CARMEN FIELD GEOLOGIC CONTROLS CARMEN - BOPD

N
6%
38%
Structure FSST
Stratigraphy STRATIGRAPHIC TRAP LST
(LST)
62%
94%

CARMEN - ACCUMULATIVE
PRODUCTION
CARMEN - ACCUMULATIVE PRODUCTION

39%
45% FSST
Structure LST
Stratigraphy
55% STRUCTURE TRAP 61%
(FSST)

CARMEN - RESERVES CARMEN - RESERVES

1 Km 22%
27%

FSST
Structure
LST
Stratigraphy

73%
100000
CARMEN FIELD - VIVIAN PRODUCTION 78%

The impact of the stratigraphic trapping an of the system tracts in Carmen Field
production.
A set of six pie-charts were build using the production data for the wells drilled in the
Carmen field. To classify the wells the following criteria was used: The wells
controlled by structure always have oil trapped in both Vivian Fm and in the underlying
BPD
Carmen Field production history.
10000
The Carmen 1X well drilled in the western side of the field, was the only producing well for this
field since year 1974 to 2002.
Its low declination rate indicated that it was draining a sizable area. This information gave
support to a proposal to re-appraise the field. Before the discovery in year 2002 of the new play

1000
Chonta Fm. The wells controlled by stratigraphy always have a thick oil bearing Vivian in the eastern side of the field, Carmen was reaching a production low of 100 BOPD. Current
Fm underlain by a wet Chonta Fm. production has jumped to over 6000 BOPD.

The wells with stratigaphic control were subdivided in two groups: The wells located in 100

the LST “lobes” and wells located out of the “lobes” (FSST wells).The wells located in
the LST “lobes” produce oil mainly from the reservoir sandstones located within the
LST sytem tract. The wells located in the FSST areas are usually the same ones that
need a structure component to trap oil. 10
May-78

May-79

May-80

May-81

May-82

May-83

May-84

May-85

May-86

May-87

May-88

May-89

May-90

May-91

May-92

May-93

May-94

May-95

May-96

May-97

May-98

May-99

May-00

May-01

May-02

May-03

May-04

BOPD BFPD WCT

 VIVIAN SESMIC ATTRIBUTES MAPS VIVIAN ISOCHRON MAP
C.I. 3 ms

ISOCHRON SEISMIC LOWER ZERO INSTANTANEOUS

C.I. 1 ms
FACIES CROSSINNG FREQUENCY N

NEAR REFLECTOR GEOMETRY

NCAR-10

CCAR-5

CARMEN CAR-1502D

CAR_E-1X

CAR-1

127 20

THICK 112
22

24
96
26

80
28

64 30
FORESTAL
32
48

34
32
36

16
38

0 40

HUAYURI THIN
NHUA-2

42
-16

NORTE -32
44

NHUA-1
46

-48
48

-64 50

SHUA-10
52
-80
SHUA-11
54
-96
SHUA-3
56
SHUA-4

SHUA-13 -112
SHUA-7
58
SHUA-14
SHUA-5

SHUA-12
SHUA-8
SHUA-6 -128 60
SHUA-15
SHUA-1

SHUA-2

SHUA-9

CARMEN

SHIVIYACU
0m 2000m 4000m

1cm. = 400 metersers

Vivian Fm 3D seismic attribute maps outline the FSST “lobes” in the Carmen Huayuri area.
The FSST “thicks” observable in the 3D seismic isochron map are easily correlatable to the Seismic Facies map, to
the Lower Zero crossing Near Reflector Geometry map and to the Instantaneous Frequency map.

The areas highlighted by purple ellipses compare the seismic attributes of the Carmen stratigraphic trap against a
prospectable area located to the south. The prospect area has estimated reserves of around 24 MMBLS.

Vivian Fm composite 2D-3D isochron map shows the distribution of

the FSST “lobes”to the East of the Carmen Huayuri 3D survey.
The thick areas have been highlighted in red and the thins are light brown. HUAYURI
A complex of ”thicks” stretching between Carmen and Forestal oilfields can
be considered as a potential target. A 3D survey would be required to test
LST “lobes” form stratigraphic the play in this area.
traps, mappable using 3D The LST “lobes” form stratigraphic traps that are mappable using 3D
seismic. The distribution of the “lobes” seems to be limited to the flanks of
seismic low relief Cretaceous highs.

The volumetric reserves estimate for the areas outlined in red is over 100
MMBLS. I express my gratitude to my co-workers at Pluspetrol Norte Exploration and Production departments for their help. The data presented is a
result of their joint efforts during the last 2 years.
I acknowledge also Pluspetrol Norte management for their support and for their authorization to publish this work.