Chajid Kairuz (presenter), Ruben Arismendy, ANH Consultants; José Osorno, Carlos Rey, ANH Colombia
Presentation in Spanish.
The Colombian Caribbean offshore is a frontier area of 223,694 km2, which includes two main Colombian offshore fields: Chuchupa and Ballena (producing for over 47 years). The interest in the region has risen in recent years due to several economic and non-economic discoveries. Hence, this paper aims to discuss the Colombian offshore Caribbean's economic potential, supported by the discoveries and their characteristics.
This study used more than 18,600km of 2D seismic data (20 seismic surveys) reprocessed by Colombia's National Hydrocarbon Agency (ANH) on the continental shelf of the Colombian Caribbean (offshore basins of Guajira, Sinu, Uraba and southern region of the Colombia Basin). The integration, interpretation, and correlation of these seismic data was done with over 50 wells and potential methods.
Moreover, geochemical data allowed the validation of the Petroleum systems. However, the results have conceived that the Colombian Caribbean only has the potential for biogenic gas. Nevertheless, the present study is supported by data showing otherwise:
- Crude oil samples in the Chimare 2-1, Punta Gallinas-1 and San Bernardo-1X exploratory wells,
- Condensed oil in the Orca-1, La Perla-1 (Venezuelan well), and Ballena 7 and 8 wells,
- Evidence of thermogenic hydrocarbons in core piston samples,
- Analysis of Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks in several wells in the Caribbean with the potential of generating thermogenic hydrocarbons and outcrops in Sinu and La Guajira (onshore sectors).
The results show a new set of opportunities due to the variety of plays identified in the Colombian Caribbean, which have the potential to accumulate thermogenic hydrocarbons. Therefore, the Caribbean offshore has the potential to accumulate thermogenic hydrocarbons, which, together with the biogenic gas already discovered (at least 35 TCF), increase the potential for further exploration.
Chajid Kairuz, ANH Consultant
Chajid earned a BSc in Geology from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, he currently is ANH Consultant, and Co-Founder and Manager at Neoil Exploration, responsible project development. He has previous work experience at Ecopetrol, Trayectoria Oil & Gas and as a professor.
Chajid is a member if ACGGP, AAPG, EAGE and SPE.