Shinichi Sakurai

Neogene tectonic, stratigraphic, and play framework of the southern Laguna Madre–Tuxpan continental shelf, Gulf of Mexico

Neogene shelf, slope, canyon, and slope-to-basin-floor transition plays in the southern Laguna Madre–Tuxpan (LM-T) continental shelf reflect a variety of structural and stratigraphic controls, including gravity sliding and extension, compression, salt evacuation, and lowstand canyon and fan systems. The Neogene in the LM-T area was deposited along narrow shelves associated with a tectonically active coast affected by significant uplift and erosion of carbonate and volcanic terrains. This study characterizes 4 structurally defined trends and 32 Neogene plays in a more than 50,000-km2 (19,300-mi2) area linking the Veracruz and Burgos basins. The Caonero trend in the southern part of the LM-T area contains deep-seated basement faults caused by Laramide compression. Many of these faults are directly linked to the interpreted Mesozoic source rocks, providing potential pathways for vertically migrating hydrocarbons. In contrast, the Lankahuasa trend, north of the Caonero trend, contains listric faults, which detach into a shallow horizon. This trend is associated with thick Pliocene shelf depocenters. The dominant plays in the Faja de Oro–Nyade trend in the central part of the LM-T area contain thick lower and middle Miocene successions of steeply dipping slope deposits, reflecting significant uplift and erosion of the carbonate Tuxpan platform. These slope plays consist of narrow channel-fill and levee sandstones encased in siltstones and mudstones. Plays in the north end of the LM-T area, in the southern part of the Burgos basin, contain intensely deformed strata linked to salt and shale diapirism. Outer-shelf, slope, and proximal basin-floor plays in the Lamprea trend are internally complex and contain muddy debris-flow and slump deposits. Risk factors and the relative importance of play elements vary greatly among LM-T plays. Reservoir quality is a critical limiting play element in many plays, especially those in the Caonero trend directly downdip from the trans-Mexican volcanic belt, as well as carbonate-rich slope plays adjacent to the Tuxpan platform. In contrast, trap and source are low-risk play elements in the LM-T area because of the abundance of large three-way and four-way closures and the widespread distribution of organic-rich Upper Jurassic Tithonian-age source rock. The potential for hydrocarbon migration in LM-T plays is a function of the distribution of deep-seated faults inferred to intersect the primary Mesozoic source. Their distribution is problematic for the Lankahuasa trend, where listric faults sole out into the Paleocene. Seal is poorly documented for LM-T plays, although the presence of overpressured zones and thick bathyal shales is favorable for seal development in middle and lower Miocene basin and slope plays.

Geologic framework of upper Miocene and Pliocene gas plays of the Macuspana Basin, southeastern Mexico

This integrated study provides a geological and geochemical framework for upper Miocene and Pliocene siliciclastic gas plays in the Macuspana Basin. Structural controls for the plays are deep-seated faults that tap Mesozoic thermogenic gas sources, areas of intense shale diapirism and folding, and areas with structural inversion that could enhance trapping and reservoir productivity. Early Neogene thrusting south of the basin triggered evacuation of Oligocene shale along northwest-dipping listric faults in the eastern and southeastern basin margin. These faults are associated with large-scale rollover structures and thick (500 m) upper Miocene shoreface and wave-dominated deltaic complexes. A second phase of extension in the early Pliocene formed a set of broad, southeast-dipping listric faults in the western basin, controlling thick accumulations of stacked Pliocene shoreface deposits. Trap formation and enhancement in the southern basin margin are linked to late Miocene to Pliocene inversion.The primary stratigraphic controls on play occurrence in the upper Miocene in the onshore part of the basin are the regional facies distribution of northwest-prograding shoreface and wave-dominated deltaic systems. There was a shift in Pliocene sedimentation from the southeast to the west and northwest parts of the basin, where thick successions of aggradational shoreface and wave-dominated deltaic deposits accumulated in depocenters defined by shale evacuation along growth faults. Valley-fill deposits in both the upper Miocene and Pliocene resulted from shortlived periods of base-level change induced by either uplift on the southern basin margin or eustasy. The offshore part of the basin is inferred to consist of deep-water turbidite deposits that formed downdip (westward) of a hypothesized mixed clastic-carbonate prograding complex from the Yucatan platform.Three petroleum systems (Mesozoic, Paleogene–lower Neogene, and upper Miocene–Pliocene) contributed to the hydrocarbon accumulations and hydrocarbon generation and migration in the basin. Principal Upper Jurassic/Lower Cretaceous source rocks generated wet thermogenic gases and oil. Secondary lower Tertiary source rocks generated dominantly dry biogenic gases. Mixtures of the two gas types are common. Numerous deep-seated growth faults and faults serve as pathways for Mesozoic-sourced hydrocarbons. Surface seeps and abundant gas shows suggest that hydrocarbons are being generated today.

GEO-SEQ Best Practices Manual. Geologic Carbon Dioxide Sequestration: Site Evaluation to Implementation

LBNL-56623 GEO-SEQ Best Practices Manual Geologic Carbon Dioxide Sequestration: Site Evaluation to Implementation GEO-SEQ Project Team Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Stanford University, University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology, Alberta Research Council September 30, 2004 Earth Sciences Division Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley, CA 94720 This work was supported by the Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Office of Coal and Power Systems, of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DE-AC03-76SF00098.

Miocene chronostratigraphy, paleogeography, and play framework of the Burgos Basin, southern Gulf of Mexico

This study characterizes Miocene chronostratigraphy and plays in the Burgos Basin and adjacent south Texas within an area of approximately 39,700 km2 (15,300 mi2), onshore and offshore (to the 500-m [1640-ft] isobath). Using greater than 40,000 linear kilometers (25,000 mi) of two-dimensional seismic lines, 115 onshore wells, 9 offshore wells, and paleontological data, we established a correlation framework of 9 key surfaces (upper Oligocene to lower Pliocene) representing major (probably third-order) sequence boundaries and maximum flooding surfaces throughout the basin. Five of the Burgos Miocene surfaces coincide with regional chronostratigraphic surfaces from the Veracruz and Laguna Madre-Tuxpan basins, thus establishing a consistent correlation framework throughout much of the Mexican Gulf Coast Basin. Twenty Miocene plays are defined by four age divisions (lower Miocene, middle Miocene, upper Miocene_1, and upper Miocene_2) and four paleogeographic settings (unexpanded and expanded shelf, proximal slope, and distal slope). Because of proven high productivity in salt-bounded basins in the northern Gulf of Mexico, the onlap of strata onto diapirs in the eastern Burgos salt province was evaluated as a fifth setting. The paleogeographic provinces and onlap areas exhibit characteristic seismic facies, stratal geometries, and structural relations; a characterization of each one of these being key to the overall play evaluation. This play framework provides the means for continuing exploration of Miocene strata and evaluation of key play elements (reservoir presence and quality, seal, trap, source, and migration and timing) in this structurally complex, underexplored basin. The relative importance of these play elements varies systematically for each play, especially between the onshore shelf plays and the offshore deep-water plays, where fault complexity and stratigraphic variability are greater.

Wave-shape classification and attribute analysis of the lower Miocene deep-water reservoirs, Laguna Madre Basin, offshore México

The lower Miocene deep-water play in Laguna Madre Basin contains attractive depositional features and yet is considered high-risk potential. Previous economic activity within this region largely focused on large traps within carbonate rocks of the Tuxpan Platform. Recently interest has renewed in exploring natural gas reserves in the Neogene plays. In this study, we analyzed a nonproductive horizon representing the base of the Miocene and containing an apparent toe-of-slope channel complex in the proximal part of the basin.

Frio pilot in CO2 sequestration in brine-bearing sandstones: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, report to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to accompany a class V application for an experimental technology pilot injection well.

GEOSEQ project (LBNL, LLNL, ORNL), NETL, Schlumberger–Doll Research Center, Transpetco, Sandia Technologies