Seismic stratigraphy and oil recovery potential of tide‐dominated depositional sequences in the Lower Misoa Formation (Lower Eocene), LL-652 Area, Lagunillas Field, Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela

Abstract

Structurally complex, heterogeneous, estuarine‐delta and tide‐dominated shelf reservoirs in the Lower Misoa Formation (Lower Eocene C Members) in the LL-652 Area of Lagunillas Field in the Maracaibo Basin, Venezuela, had produced 135 million stock‐tank barrels (MMSTB) of oil as of 1993 but have a low recovery efficiency of 22 percent. In an 18-month joint study, the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) and Lagoven, S. A., demonstrated that these reservoirs will contain more than 900 MMSTB of unrecovered mobile oil at the end of primary recovery operations at the current 80‐acre well spacing. Two‐dimensional seismic, core, geophysical log, and production data were integrated to improve estimates of hydrocarbon reserves and to identify potential areas for secondary‐recovery projects in Lower Eocene reservoirs in the LL-652 Area. Maps of hydrocarbon pore volume (SoPhih) and remaining oil were derived from improved petrophysical characterization and production apportioning to specific reservoir horizons by permeability feet (kh). These maps indicate that most remaining oil lies in the poorly developed and structurally complicated north part of the field and where narrow [less than 2000 ft (<610 m) wide], high‐SoPhih belts are intersected by sealing and partly sealing reverse faults. The original‐oil‐in‐place resource base of the C Members in the LL-652 area increased by 867 MMSTB (60%) to 2318.2 MMSTB, mainly in the C-3-X and C-4-X Members, by identifying additional reservoir areas and improving quantification of porosity and other petrophysical parameters. Extended development on the current 80-acre [1968-ft (600-m)] well pattern will increase reserves from 127 to 302 MMSTB. However, 116 MMSTB, in addition to the 302 MMSTB, can be produced from 102 geologically based infill wells strategically targeted to tap areas of high remaining oil saturation in narrow sandstone bodies poorly contacted at the current well spacing. Horizontal and inclined wells in steeply dipping strata can capture additional volumes of poorly contacted mobile oil.