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Three-dimensional structural modeling and its application for development of the El Portón field, Argentina

¹ Repsol YPF, Esmeralda 255 Piso 10° Of. 1001E, Buenos Aires C1035ABE, Argentina; gzamorav{at}repsolypf.com
² Repsol YPF, Esmeralda 255 Piso 10° Of. 1001E, Buenos Aires C1035ABE, Argentina
³ Repsol YPF, Esmeralda 255 Piso 10° Of. 1001E, Buenos Aires C1035ABE, Argentina
⁴ Repsol YPF, Esmeralda 255 Piso 10° Of. 1001E, Buenos Aires C1035ABE, Argentina

Gonzalo Zamora Valcarce received his Licenciado degree in geology from the University of Oviedo (Spain) and his M.Sc. degree in tectonics from Royal Holloway (University of London). He spent a year in the Spanish Geological Service. In March 2002, he joined the fold and thrust belt team at Repsol YPF, and since then, he has been doing structural modeling for the exploration and development of complex areas. He is also completing his Ph.D. on the tectonic evolution of the Neuquén Andes at the University of Buenos Aires.Tomás Zapata received his Ph.D. in structural geology from Cornell University. He has spent 9 years working as an exploration geologist for Repsol YPF. Currently, he is the exploration manager for the south fold and thrust belt team and teaches petroleum geology at the University of Buenos Aires. His research interest is tectonic evolution and kinematics of thrust-front zones.

Andre Ansa holds a Licenciado degree in geology from the University of Buenos Aires. He has more than 10 years of experience in different companies, mainly as a seismic interpreter in exploration and development areas. At present, he is working for Repsol YPF in the fold and thrust belt team.

Gustavo Selva received his Licenciado degree in geology from the University of La Plata (Argentina) and has been working as a reservoir geologist since then. At the time of the study, he was the team leader for the El Portón field. Currently, he is working in the geosciences department. His main research focus is reservoir modeling and characterization.

ABSTRACT

The El Portón field, located in the Neuquén basin, belongs to one of the largest oil and gas trends of Argentina. Fields in the area produce oil from middle Cretaceous fluvial and eolian porous sandstones at about 600 m (1968 ft) below sea level. The field structure is described as a triangle zone located in front of the Neuquén fold and thrust belt that was formed during the Andean orogeny by a combination of tight detachment folds and fault-propagation folding. The structure has a basal detachment through the contact between the evaporites of the Auquilco Formation and the shales of the Vaca Muerta Formation. The upper detachment corresponds to the salt layers of the Huitrín Formation. The structure was reactivated by basement fault inversion that produced tightening of the preexisting geometry and backthrusts that increased the structural complexity.

A three-dimensional (3-D) structural model has been constructed using 3-D seismic data and well information to plan new horizontal wells in steeply dipping to overturned limbs, through 50–60 m (164–196 ft) of productive reservoir avoiding pilot and sidetrack wells. The results of the modeling have made the company consider as a priority the 3-D structural model-building procedure for the development of fields located in fold and thrust belts.