DATE: October 8-10, 2006

LOCATION: Veracruz, Mexico

Conference Goals:

The aim of this symposium would be to gather individuals from industry, academia, and government agencies, associated with both research and E&P activities to examine the mechanisms of formation of heavy oils, the pre-drill prediction and identification of these hydrocarbons, present and future technologies required for their recovery at a profit, and their importance to oil production during the coming decades.

Format:

The meeting will be comprised of two and one-half days of oral and poster presentations. Oral presentations will be 30 minutes in length, plus 15 minutes for questions and discussion to allow proper development of the topic. General attendance is limited. The poster sessions will be linked to the oral presentations.

Themes:

Deepwater Setting -- Geology, Economics and Technology. 

• The global deepwater play: A historical and geological perspective 27 years after first discovery -- Henry Pettingill (Noble Energy)
• Challenges in the exploitation of offshore heavy oil reservoirs in Mexico -- Fernando Castrejón Vácio (Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo)
• Exploiting upstream/downstream synergies for improved risking of hydrocarbon quality and development economics in deepwater plays -- L.M. Wener, C.L. Davis, C.C. Walters, G.H. Isaksen, and M. Richardson (ExxonMobil)

Oil Quality Controls -- Review and Case Studies

• Oil biodegration prediction: Applications of BDI Method in the Global Deepwater Areas -- Allan Yu (BHP Billiton)
• The origin, prediction and impact of oil viscosity heterogeneity on the production characteristics of tar sand and heavy oil reservoirs -- Steve Larter, Jennifer Adams, Ian D. Gates, Barry Bennett, Haiping Huang, Martin Jones and Ian Head (University of Calgary and University of Newcastle)
• New Aproach of Petroleum Systems Exttension in Deep Water Gulf of Mexico -- Limón G. Mario, Escandón C. María, and Navarro Hdez. Rebeca (Pmex E&P)
• Origin of heavy oil reservoirs in Mexico: biodegradation vs. maturity -- Mario Alberto Guzman et al (IMP and Pemex)
• Fluid property prediction in the Perdido Fold Belt -- Gulf of Mexico, USA. Integration of structural geology, organic geochemistry and basin modeling -- Klaus Leischner (Shell

Heavy Oil, Deepwater, and Offshore Case Studies

• Oil quality prediction in deep waters: Gulf of Guinea applications -- Gilles Sermondadaz (Total)
• Deep water heavy oil potential in Gulf of Mexico -- Guillermo Pérez Cruz (Pemex E&P)
• The occurrence of heavy oil deposits in the deep water provinces of the Greater Campos Basin, Brazil: What we have learned! -- M.R. Mello and P.W. Brooks (High Resolution Technology & Petroleum)
• Frade Field -- The evolution from marginal development to an economic development, and it wasn't just because of higher priced oil! -- Nadeem Parvez and Jeff Bergeron (Chevron)
• Heavy oil is where you find it -- Brazil DW exploration case history -- Eskil Jersing (Shell)
• C case study of mobil tar in deep water Gulf of Mexico -- L. Dzou, C. Sheliga, G. Chong and E. Lisle (BP)
• Challenges in heavy crude oil -- Grane, an overview (J.A. Haugan, E.S. Jenssen and S. hatlem (Hydro Oil & Energy)

Comparison with Onshore Production Techniques -- State of the Art

• Advanced technology to improve API density of heavy oils -- Eduardo Pacheco (Halliburton)
• Turning tar to gold -- observations from Venezuela's Orinoco extra heavy oil belt -- Mike Waite (Ameriven/Chevron)