1887
Volume 41, Issue 5
  • ISSN: 0263-5046
  • E-ISSN: 1365-2397

Abstract

Abstract

The greater Latin American region has a complex and diverse history of hydrocarbon exploration like other oil-rich areas. South America has a series of prolific and proven basins where the opportunity for operators is ever evolving. Many times, the successes of these efforts correlate with the maturity of exploration within the basin. A comparison of basins can be made to illustrate the basin’s exploration status, i.e.- frontier or mature. Commercial field distribution in the Guyana-Suriname Basin and the Salt Basins of Brazil indicates that legacy, shallow-water prospecting has been left behind for larger, more prospective targets in deep water realms. From seismic observations, frontier areas, such as the Equatorial Margin of Brazil and South America’s Austal South Atlantic margin segments, have a wide play fairway ahead in the deeper regions. Deep-water deposits have been demonstrated to commonly hold commercial field sizes where quality source rock is present. Overcoming technical and commercial risks in frontier basins is the key to a successful transition off-the-shelf into deep ‘sweet spot’ basins.

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2023-05-01
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