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PSPlay Analysis and Digital Portfolio of Major Oil Reservoirs in the Permian Basin: New Mexico*
By
Ronald F. Broadhead1, William D. Raatz2, Shirley P. Dutton3, and Eugene M. Kim3
Search and Discovery Article #10065 (2004)
*In conjunction with: U.S. Department of Energy. Adapted from poster presentation at AAPG Annual Meeting, Dallas, Texas, April 18-21, 2004.
1New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, a division of New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM 87801 ([email protected])
2New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources; present address: OxyPermian, Houston, TX
3Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78713
Abstract
Approximately 300
reservoirs in the New Mexico part of the Permian Basin have cumulative
production of more than 1 MMBO, with a combined production of 4.5 billion bbls
oil as of 2000. Reservoirs with 1 MMBO cumulative production have been grouped
into 17 plays based on geologic parameters, including reservoir
stratigraphy,
lithology, depositional environment, tectonic setting, and trapping mechanism.
The 10 Permian plays have a cumulative production of 3501 MMBO. The two
Pennsylvanian plays have a cumulative production of 424 MMBO. Three Siluro-Devonian
plays have a cumulative production of 440 MMBO. The two Ordovician plays have a
cumulative production of 86 MMBO. Four New Mexico plays are selected for
detailed discussion based on favorable production trends, potential for
significant bypassed pay, possibilities for enhanced production, or rethinking
of exploration concepts that may result in rethinking of exploration,
development, and production strategies.
The Delaware
Mountain Group Basinal Sandstone Play has 155 reservoirs in New Mexico, 33 with
more than 1 MMBO cumulative production. These 33 reservoirs have produced a
cumulative total of 112 MMBO. Production from the New Mexico part of this play
peaked in the mid-1990's at more than 7 MMBO per year. Reservoirs are deep-water
submarine fan sandstones. Primary production via solution gas drive
declines
quickly as
reservoir
pressure is depleted. Pressure maintenance, and water
flooding in selected cases, may prevent premature abandonment and increase
ultimate recovery by more than 50 percent.
The Upper San
Andres and Grayburg Platform Artesia Vacuum Trend Play contains 13 reservoirs
with more than 1 MMBO production. These 13 reservoirs have produced a cumulative
total of 796 MMBO. Although much of this production has historically been from
vugular porosity in carbonates of the upper San Andres Formation, significant
reserves remain that may be produced by horizontal drilling to tap underproduced
reservoir
compartments in established San Andres reservoirs as well as targeting
bypassed, behind-pipe pay within the less permeable sandstone of the Grayburg
Formation.
The Leonard Restricted Platform Carbonate Play has 34 reservoirs with production exceeding 1 MMBO. Cumulative production from these reservoirs is 431 MMBO. Reservoirs consist of limestones and dolostones deposited on a restricted carbonate platform; associated platform sandstones are also productive. Traps are formed by wide, low-relief anticlines. Uneven pay distribution across structures and strata-limited fracture systems have compartmentailzed reservoirs and resulted in bypassed pay that may be tapped through horizontal drilling.
The Northwest Shelf
Upper Pennsylvanian Carbonate Play has been productive from 197 reservoirs, 34
of which have produced more than 1 MMBO. These 34 reservoirs have produced a
combined 354 MMBO. Reservoirs consist of algal mounds and associated carbonate
sands. Trapping mechanisms
are largely stratigraphic. Historically, the largest
reservoirs in this play yielded significant production (>10 MMBO cumulative)
only decades after initial discovery. Initial development was often predicated
on the presumption of structural entrapment of oil. Redevelopment proved
entrapment is stratigraphic, resulting in an increase in the productive area and
production rates, turning seemingly minor reservoirs into major ones.
Rediscovery of the Dagger Draw
reservoir
in the 1990's increased production by
more than one-hundredfold and resulted in an annual production rate of more than
10 MMBO during 1996.
uDelaware Mountain Sandstone Play uUpper San Andres/Grayburg play
uDelaware Mountain Sandstone Play uUpper San Andres/Grayburg play
uDelaware Mountain Sandstone Play uUpper San Andres/Grayburg play
uDelaware Mountain Sandstone Play uUpper San Andres/Grayburg play
uDelaware Mountain Sandstone Play uUpper San Andres/Grayburg play
uDelaware Mountain Sandstone Play uUpper San Andres/Grayburg play
uDelaware Mountain Sandstone Play uUpper San Andres/Grayburg play
uDelaware Mountain Sandstone Play uUpper San Andres/Grayburg play
uDelaware Mountain Sandstone Play uUpper San Andres/Grayburg play
uDelaware Mountain Sandstone Play uUpper San Andres/Grayburg play
uDelaware Mountain Sandstone Play uUpper San Andres/Grayburg play
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Figures Captions (1.1-1.7)
About the ProjectThis
article summarizes the New Mexico part of our work developing a play
portfolio of major oil-productive reservoirs in the Permian Basin. Data
from reservoirs with more than 1 MMBO cumulative production in the
Permian Basin were mapped and compiled in a Geographic Information
System (GIS). In addition to the 299 reservoirs identified in New
Mexico, approximately 1000 reservoirs with more than 1 MMBO cumulative
production have been identified in the Texas part of the Permian Basin.
Thirty-three plays are defined by this project, 17 of which are
partially or wholly in New Mexico. The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and
Mineral Resources at New Mexico Tech and the Bureau of Economic Geology
at the University of Texas at Austin have jointly undertaken this
Preferred Upstream Management Practices (PUMP) initiative funded by
the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-FC26-02NT15131. The
objectives of this PUMP project are to: 1) develop an up-to-date
portfolio of oil plays in the Permian Basin of west Texas and southeast
New Mexico; 2) study key reservoirs of some of the largest or most
active plays to incorporate information on improved practices in
Guadalupian (Upper Permian) Plays(Figures 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5)
Wolfcampian and Leonardian (Lower Permian) Plays(Figures 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.6)
Pennsylvanian Plays(Figures 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.7)
Ordovician, Silurian and Devonian Plays
Emphasized PlaysFour New Mexico plays have been selected for in-depth discussion and analysis in this article:
These plays were selected based on favorable production trends, potential for significant future growth through either new or improved primary or secondary production, or newly applied geologic and/or engineering concepts that may result in rethinking of exploration, development, and production strategies.
Delaware Mountain Group Basinal Sandstone Play
Reservoirs in the Delaware Mountain Group Basinal Sandstone Play lie within the Delaware Basin and stretch from the northern part of the basin in Eddy and Lea Counties south into Texas (Figure 2.1). Production is from submarine fan sandstones in the Bell Canyon, Cherry Canyon, and Brushy Canyon Formations (Figure 2.2). Traps are mostly stratigraphic and formed by submarine fan sandstones deposited in channels and on fan lobes (Figure 2.3). There are 155 known, discovered Delaware Mountain reservoirs in New Mexico, 33 of which have produced > 1 MMBO. Cumulative production from these 33 reservoirs was 112 MMBO as of 2000. Production is obtained from all 3 formations in the Delaware Mountain Group - Bell Canyon, Cherry Canyon and Brushy Canyon (Figure 2.2). Most Bell Canyon reservoirs were found before 1970. Most Cherry Canyon reservoirs were found after 1970. Most Brushy Canyon reservoirs were found in the 1980's and 1990's.
Production from this play has been declining over the past decade as primary production declines within existing reservoirs (Figure 2.4). Currently, most production is obtained from Brushy Canyon reservoirs discovered in the mid-1980's to early 1990's with many earlier found Bell Canyon reservoirs nearing depletion. The increase in production during the late 1980's and early 1990's was a result of discovery of numerous Brushy Canyon reservoirs.
Figure 2.5
shows the decline in oil production from the average well in the
Livingston Ridge Brushy Canyon
Injection
of water for pressure maintenance by Phillips Petroleum at the Cabin
Lake Although
the less permeable and more heterogeneous Delaware reservoirs may not be
suitable for waterflooding, this EOR technique can have startling
success in proximal Cherry Canyon and Brushy Canyon reservoirs. In the
Indian Draw Cherry Canyon
Upper San Andres and Grayburg Platform - Artesia Vacuum Trend PlayFigure Captions (3.1-3.7)
Play GeologyThe Upper San Andres and Grayburg Platform - Artesia Vacuum Trend Play extends between the cities of Artesia and Hobbs in Eddy and Lea counties along the Artesia-Vacuum arch. The play has 13 reservoirs with > 1 MMBO cumulative production (Figure 3.1). Cumulative production from these 13 reservoirs was 796 MMBO as of 2000. Production is obtained from both the San Andres Formation and the overlying Grayburg Formation; their stratigraphic positions are illustrated in Figure 3.2. The upper
San Andres Formation was deposited on a restricted carbonate shelf and
is a backreef deposit composed of dolowackestones, dolopacktones, and
dolograinstones. It is composed of high-frequency, upward-shoaling
carbonate depositional cycles capped by low-permeability peritidal
facies that vertically compartmentalize the The Grayburg Formation consists of interbedded sandstones, siltstones, and dolomitic carbonates (Handford et al., 1996; Modica and Dorobek, 1996). The sandstones are the main Grayburg reservoirs and were deposited in coastal sabka, sandflat, and eolian environments. Carbonates are generallly impermeable subtidal deposits. Substantial pay may remain behind pipe in Grayburg sandstones. The
Artesia-Vacuum arch is a shallow structure that overlies the deeper Abo
shelf edge reef trend and Bone Spring flexure.
Annual
production from 1970 to 2000 for the 13 reservoirs within the Upper San
Andres and Grayburg Platform - Artesia Vacuum Trend Play that have
produced more than 1 MMBO is shown in Figure 3.3. The significant
increase in production during the mid-1980's was caused by
implementation of waterflood/pressure maintenance projects in the Vacuum
Figure 3.4,
which plots annual oil production and number of injection wells in the
Vacuum
Leonard Restricted Platform Carbonate Play
Reservoirs
in the Leonard Restricted Platform Carbonate Play lie on the Northwest
Shelf of the Permian Basin and on the Central Basin Platform. On the
Northwest Shelf, the play extends along a curvilinear trend near the
shelf margin and extends east into Texas. On the Central Basin Platform,
the play extends along a trend on the western edge of the platform and
south into Texas. Reservoirs are mostly dolostones and limestones in the
Yeso Formation (Permian: Leonardian), but Yeso sandstones are productive
in some reservoirs. In New
Mexico four subplays (Figure 4.1) are defined by the stratigraphic unit
or units from which production is obtained within a 1. Upper Yeso subplay (Glorieta Formation & Paddock Member of Yeso Formation) (Figure 4.2) 2. Blinebry subplay (Blinebry Member of Yeso Formation) (Figure 4.3) 3. Tubb subplay (Tubb Member of Yeso Fm.) (Figure 4.4) 4. Drinkard subplay (Drinkard Member of Yeso Formation) (Figure 4.5)
Production from this play has been in decline over the past 30 years as the large reservoirs, mostly discovered before 1965, were depleted (Figure 4.6). The increase in total production from this play during the early 1990's was a result of waterflooding and increased production in the Blinebry, Dollarhide, Vacuum, and Warren reservoirs.
Figure 4.7
is a structure contour map of the Blinebry Member at the Justis Blinebry
The best
The Paddock
Northwest Shelf Upper Pennsylvanian Carbonate Play
Reservoirs in the Northwest Shelf Upper Pennsylvanian Carbonate Play lie on the Northwest Shelf of the Permian Basin. The play trend extends from the shelf edge near Carlsbad in Eddy County to the shelf interior in Chaves and Roosevelt counties. Reservoirs are limestones and dolostones of Canyon (Upper Pennsylvanian:Missourian) and Cisco (Upper Pennsylvanian: Virgilian) age. Traps are primarily stratigraphic and are formed by phylloid algal mounds and associated grainstones and packstones (Cys, 1986; Speer, 1993; Mazzullo, 1998; Cox et al., 1998). Productive porosity is primarily vugular, intercrystalline, and intergranular. Most reservoirs in this play were initially discovered by drilling structures or by testing shows encountered while drilling to deeper zones. There are almost 400 known discovered reservoirs in this play, 200 of which are currently nonproductive and 35 of which have produced more than 1 MMBO (Figure 5.1). Cumulative production from these 35 reservoirs was 354 MMBO as of 2000. Many of these reservoirs are characterized by high water cuts; produced water volumes often exceed produced oil volumes. Reservoirs
in this play are productive primarily from Canyon and Cisco strata of
Late Pennsylvanian age and from the Bough zones of earliest Wolfcampian
age (Figure 5.2). Depositional model for Upper Pennsylvanian algal mound
fairway for Dagger Draw South
Production from this play reached a peak in the 1990's as a result of redevelopment of the Dagger Draw North and Dagger Draw South reservoirs and has been declining since 1997 as redevelopment wells at Dagger Draw have begun to enter depletion stages of the production cycle (Figure 5.4). The huge decline in the early 1970's resulted from depletion of reservoirs discovered and developed during the 1950's and 1960's.
The Baum
Upper
Pennsylvanian carbonate reservoirs in southeast New Mexico have
typically been discovered by drilling small seismically defined
anticlines. Initial development has generally been concentrated on the
crests of the structures, and in most of the larger reservoirs,
generally did not extend into offstructure areas. Subsequent drilling
generally proceeded in discrete phases, each with a corresponding
increase in production and reserves. The stratigraphic nature of
entrapment was often not recognized until most of the High water
cuts often exceed produced oil volumes in a Most wells
in the Dagger Draw North and Dagger Draw South reservoirs were drilled
in the 1990's as a result of redevelopment (Figure 5.6). Initial
AcknowledgmentsWe thank
Dan Ferguson of DOE for his input, guidance, and support. We also
acknowledge our partners at the Bureau of Economic Geology: Cari Breton,
Steve Ruppel, Charlie Kerans, Jerry Lucia, and Mark Holtz. Brian Brister
of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources provided
insight into the San Andres/Grayburg Artesia Vacuum Trend reservoirs.
Mark Murphy of Strata Production Corporation provided helpful discussion
on pressure maintenance in Delaware Mountain Group Basinal Sandstone
reservoirs. Zhou Jianhua, a graduate student in computer science at New
Mexico Tech, did our GIS work. Irene Roselli, a New Mexico Tech
undergraduate student, energetically assembled
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Stoudt, E.L., and Raines, M.A., 2001, |