Reservoir Characterization of Late Miocene Deep-Water Frontal Splay Deposits, Salinas Basin, Mexico

In 2020 Repsol and partners successfully discovered hydrocarbons at the Miocene prospect Chinwol in the Salina del Istmo Basin, offshore Mexico ( Figure 1 ). Chinwol discovery is a bright-amplitude stratigraphic trap adjacent to salt at the northeastern margin of a relatively small (∼4km wide) minibasin. Recently acquired 3D seismic-reflection data identifies notable flatspots. The well encountered multiple hydrocarbon-bearing sandstone intervals.

Conventional core data, integrated with wide-azimuth three-dimensional seismic-reflection data, wireline log data and image logs help to characterize the Late Miocene-age sediments. Eleven sedimentary facies defined by grainsize, sedimentary structures and lithology, in conjunction with bed thickness and stacking pattern, are interpreted to represent amalgamated deep-water frontal splays, deposited in a subsiding minibasin. Outcrop and high-resolution 3D seismic analogs reduce the dimensional uncertainty of the depositional elements, supporting a data-driven conceptual model. This conceptual model is a critical component for guiding the distribution of facies within the static model.