Burgos Basin, Mexico: Current Focus, Prospects, and Frontiers

Melanie McQuinn
IHS Energy, Houston, TX

IHS Energy counts more than 280 non-associated gas fields in the Burgos Basin. More than 100 fields are producing. The oldest known discovery dates to 1927, with production initiating 1931. The greatest annual reserves increase of 400 MMBOE took place in 1950. The first major production peak occurred around 1970 at 0. 6 BCF/d, then fell to 0.2 BCF/d in 1993. Annual reserves replacement of 50 MMBOE was common until replacement became negligible in 1977. In 1994 a major basin rejuvenation effort commenced. Production swiftly climbed to 1.0 BCF/d by 2000, and continues to rise slowly to 1.1 BCF/d, short of the 1.4 BCF/d target. This is in spite of tremendous increases in exploratory and development drilling since 1998. Only in 1999 did significant reserves replacement resume. More than 90 discoveries have made since 1998; more than 30 of these are already online. Several more are under appraisal or developing. In total, more than 140 fields have been active from 1999; 80 fields have undergone development. More than 33 have registered significant production increases. Some 50 fields were known to be engaged in development drilling in 2005, of which 20% had been discovered since 1999. Recent discoveries have focused centrally in the Oligocene Frio and Vicksburg plays, while development efforts have focused on the western Paleocene-Eocene Midway/Wilcox/Jackson plays. Dominant fields of interest include Arcabuz-Culebra, Arcos, Cuitlahuac, Santa Rosalia, Mojarrenas, Benavides, Caudaloso, Canon, Velero, and others. Offshore, the Neogene play represented in the Nu 1 discovery, represents a significant new frontier.