Evaluation method for cluster platform controlling traps exploration: Taking the X block in Oriente basin, Ecuador as example

Abstract

Aimed at the small size, large quantity of traps and high environmental requirements of resource countries on slope belt of South America foreland basins, a new evaluation method is proposed for trap exploration on slope by taking the area controlled by a cluster platform as one evaluation unit. The evaluation process is: (1) trap geological risk analysis: including key oil & gas accumulation element analysis such as source, reservoir, seal, trap, migration and preservation; (2) trap resources calculation: including trap resources calculated with volumetric method, trap accumulation probability evaluation by geological risk analysis, and finally the risk trap resources by multiplying the above two values; (3) platform and drilling target selection: count the total risk trap resources and average risk trap resource of different platform and rank the drilling platforms according to the calculated resources; and rank the trap drilling sequence according to the risk trap resources. The method was used in ranking undrilled traps in the M1 layer of Block X, Oriente Basin, and the platform construction and trap drilling order was recommended accordingly which shows good results in practice. © 2014 Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, PetroChina.