Effect of volcanic bodies on hydrocarbon reservoirs in the northeastern part of the Chicontepec Foredeep, Mexico

Abstract

Shallow intrusive and extrusive volcanic events are common in the northeastern part of Chicontepec Foredeep where the close proximity of these volcanic bodies add to the complexity of the Paleocene-Eocene age tight and complex turbidite reservoirs. In accordance with studies in other basins, outcrop analogs of the Chicontepec reservoirs indicate the potential of enhanced natural fracturing and hence the increase of effective porosity in the host rock. We focus on exploring the validity of this observation in seismic and well data, which is rare in the literature. The preliminary results support the hypothesis of the potential increase of effective porosity including indication of dual-porosity systems in some areas, which would influence detailed studies aided by seismic data for considering Chicontepec reservoirs influenced by volcanic intrusions as additional target zones.