Paleogene Takes Gulf Stage As Latest Production Player

Production is from Neogene-age Reservoirs

Ninety-nine percent of total Gulf of Mexico production is from Neogene-age reservoirs (Pleistocene, Pliocene and Miocene), but several recently announced deepwater discoveries encountered large potential reservoirs in Paleogene-age sands (Oligocene, Eocene and Paleocene).

Image Caption

Reserves in the Gulf of Mexico, discovered by year. Note that no reserves were added during the years 1979, 1980 and 1992. The two largest fields in the deep water, Mars and Thunder Horse, were discovered in 1989 and 1999.
Data courtesy of Steve Cossey

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Ninety-nine percent of total Gulf of Mexico production is from Neogene-age reservoirs (Pleistocene, Pliocene and Miocene), but several recently announced deepwater discoveries encountered large potential reservoirs in Paleogene-age sands (Oligocene, Eocene and Paleocene).

This older portion of the geologic section has been very lightly tested in the Gulf, and these recent discoveries may open wide areas of the Gulf to further drilling, according to the MMS report.

The Mississippi Fan and the Perdido foldbelts include reservoirs of Paleogene age. Announced discoveries at Trident and Great White in the Alaminos Canyon area and at St. Malo, Cascade and Chinook in the Walker Ridge area provide evidence of productive Paleogene reservoirs in a wide area of the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

Key questions remain to be answered regarding the extent and reducibility of these older reservoirs, according to the report.

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