XIII Congreso Peruano de Geología.

Resúmenes Extendidos
Sociedad Geológica del Perú

HYDROCARBON EVALUATION OF THE TUMBES

AND TALARA FOREARC BASINS

Justo Fernández, Elmer Martínez, Wilber Hermoza, Ysabel Calderón & Carlos Galdos

PERUPETRO S.A. Luis Aldana 320, San Borja, Lima; jfernandez@perupetro.com.pe; emartinez@perupetro.com.pe;
whermoza@perupetro.com.pe; ycalderon@perupetro.com.pe; cgaldos@perupetro.com.pe

INTRODUCTION

The Talara and Tumbes Basins are located on the NW coast of Peru (Fig 1). Many studies have been
performed regarding the hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation in this region since these basins
have been the subject of intense development and exploratory drilling since the late 1800’s. There is
excellent remaining hydrocarbon potential in the unexplored shallow and deep water for Eocene and
pre-Eocene aged objectives in the Talara Basin and numerous undrilled prospects and leads targeting
Oligocene and Miocene objectives in the largely unexplored Tumbes Basin (Perupetro, 2005). Based
on published literature (Higley, 2004; Gonzales and Alarcon, 2002), mean estimated recoverable
undiscovered hydrocarbons are in the range of 2.2 to 1.71 BBO, 5.84 to 4.79 TCFG, and 255 MMB of
NGL in the Talara Basin and 237 MBO, 255 BCFB, and 32 MMB of NGL in the Tumbes Basin and
the bordering Progreso Basin in Ecuador. These are potentially attractive reserves in areas where all
offshore drilling have not reached water depths deeper than 400 feet (120 m.). The 2005 offshore San
Pedro 1X light oil discovery by Petro-Tech in fractured metamorphic Paleozoic rocks in the south
Talara Basin is a clear
example of the pre-
Eocene hydrocarbon
potential in a 500-1,000
MMBO productive
trend. Over the last two
years, 9814 km of
offshore 2D SEGY
seismic data and 785
LAS files from both
onshore and offshore
wells were assembled
into one operative
digital database, which
was used as the basis of
this study.

Fig.1. Location Map of

Tumbes and Talara Basins
(modified from BPZ map,
2005).

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XIII Congreso Peruano de Geología. Resúmenes Extendidos
Sociedad Geológica del Perú

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the remaining potential and high prospectivity of this area
through the introduction of modern geological concepts and interpretation. Through the application of
this study, it should be possible to increase substantially the estimated ultimate recoverable reserves of
this region. This article is part of a main regional geological and geophysical evaluation of the Talara
and Tumbes Basins developed by Perupetro in 2005.

NEW PLAY IN THE AREA

The Talara and Tumbes Basins developed as forearc basin systems in the NW coastal Peruvian Andes
during Paleogene and Neogene times. Both basins have onshore and offshore components and are
bounded on their oceanic side by a subduction trench, and on the landward side, by the Amotape
Mountains.
The present-day structural configuration of the Talara Basin is the consequence of complex
extensional and gravitational tectonics that have occurred since the Paleocene, but primarily during
middle Eocene time, with a later reactivation in Neogene times.
The structural style of the Neogene Tumbes Basin is the result of a NW regional tilt associated with
the Banco Peru Fault, the southern extension of the Dolores-Guayaquil mega-shear (Deniaud, 1999).
The net result is the formation of gravitational tectonic structures, which have generated both curved
and planar rollover anticline structures, gravity slides and some rotated fault blocks. These structures
are associated to listric normal faults with detachment levels at the base of the Heath Formation and
Pre Mancora series (Perupetro, 2005).
The Tumbes and Talara Basins have prolific potential with a diversity of opportunities that remain as
untested prospects and leads. These are related to:

i) Gravitational and extensional tectonics. In the offshore Tumbes Basin, which generated prospective
rollover anticline structures (Fig. 2). In Talara Basin, which generated normal faulting, asymmetric
half grabens and extensional fault-bend fold (Fig. 3),
ii) A major unconformity that has created important stratigraphic traps. In the Neogene Tumbes Basin,
this unconformity is located at the base of the Cardalitos Formation (Middle Miocene), while in the
Paleogene Talara Basin, it is found at the base of both the Talara and Verdun Formations,
iii) The presence of reservoir quality sedimentary sequences that have been produced in deepwater
stratigraphic facies and turbidite channels. The identification of the reservoir facies of these potential
traps requires the use of high-resolution seismic data, extensive seismic reprocessing and knowledge
of the depositional characteristics and their architectural elements. In the south Talara Basin, the
turbidite facies of the Verdun Formation shows up as seismically identified amplitude anomalies. In
the Tumbes Basin, deep water and turbidities reservoirs are present in the Cardalitos Fm (Perupetro,
2005).

Fig. 2. Regional Seismic Section through the Offshore Tumbes Basin.

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Sociedad Geológica del Perú

Fig 3. Regional Seismic Section through the Offshore Talara Basin.

ETROLEUM GEOLOGY

One major petroleum system accounts for most of the hydrocarbons found in the Talara Basin.
Oleanane biomarkers in oils and extracts define source rocks of Late Cretaceous to Tertiary age
(Fildani et at, 2005; Gonzales and Alarcon, 2002). Formations of Eocene age comprise the main
siliciclastic reservoirs with shale seals. Basin modeling interpretations define the presence of
hydrocarbon kitchens that were originally connected to the area now occupied by the Negritos – Talara
High and supposedly, similar kitchens must have been connected to the Lobitos and El Alto – Peña
Negra Structural Highs. Hydrocarbon generation and migration occurred from possibly offshore
kitchens to the west, where source rocks should have better organic contents, since late Eocene to
Oligocene time prior to the major complex block faulting with sealing faults characterizing these
blocks. Oligo to post Oligocene source rocks in these areas are less likely to have acquire mature
conditions to generate hydrocarbons. The extension of the petroleum system to the deep offshore
portion of the basins is unknown. Other potential kitchens have been previously defined within the oil
and gas windows in the adjacent deep Lagunitos, Malacas and Siches grabens, bordering the three
major structural highs.
A more complex petroleum system, or more than one, is interpreted to be present in the Tumbes Basin
to account for the oil produced, the various oil and gas tests and the numerous hydrocarbon shows
detected in the Oligocene and Miocene stratigraphic sequences. Source rocks and siliciclastic
reservoirs of these ages are documented and have probably been superimposed on Pre Oligocene
petroleum systems.
The geochemical analyses, hydrocarbon occurrences and basin modeling in the offshore Tumbes Basin
indicate the presence of active kitchens in deeper portions of the basin where the various source rocks
have acquired sufficient maturity to generate and expulse hydrocarbons.
Geochemical Analyses of other unknown potential source rocks in the area of Talara and Tumbes area
are in progress. In a recent field trip conducted by IRD, BPZ and PERUPETRO, a 100+ meter-thick
dark gray shale outcrop with source rock potential is attributed to the Talara Formation in the Mancora
Town area (Fig. 4). This area is some 30 Km to the south of the site modeled in the offshore area off
the Tumbes Basin as part of this study. This shale unit also outcrops 20 Km to the east of the Mancora
town, where it preserves its original lithological character (Fig. 4).
The main reservoirs are sandstones with shale seals found within both the productively prolific Eocene
sequences of the Talara Basin, and the Oligo-Miocene sequences of the Tumbes Basin. Additionally,
there are few fields, which produce from fractured metamorphic of the Paleozoic Amotape Formation
and sandstones of Cretaceous and Paleocene age in the Talara Basin.

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The interpreted geohistory modeling, oil

occurrences and production data, point towards
the presence of more than one hydrocarbon
kitchen to account for the hydrocarbon
occurrences of the Talara and Tumbes Basins.
Source rocks are interpreted to contain adequate
organic contents and to have reached optimal
maturity conditions along the western deep
and/or offshore portions along the length of the
Talara Basin and within deep depocenters to the
east and south of the Banco Peru in the Tumbes
Basin. Most likely these areas represent the
major source areas for the discovered and
undiscovered reserves of both basins.
Figure 4. Gray shales of the Talara Shale offer
good visual source rock character in the Mancora
area in two sites distanced some 20 Km away.

CONCLUSIONS

More of one petroleum system is related to

Miocene, Oligocene, Eocene and Cretaceous
source rocks, interpreted to be present in the
Tumbes Basin and Talara Basins to account for
the oil and gas produced. Basin modeling,
hydrocarbon occurrences, geochemical studies in the offshore Tumbes Basin indicate the presence of
active kitchens in deeper portions of the basin where the source rocks could have acquired sufficient
maturity to generate and expulse hydrocarbons. The kitchen area for South Talara Basin is located in
the deep offshore zone.
The Talara and Tumbes Basins have a high potential for as of yet, undiscovered hydrocarbons. Most
of the offshore regions are present as either a shallow platform where all the drilling activity has been
conducted, or a deep platform with minimal seismic data.

REFERENCES

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Data From Block Z-1, Tumbes Basin and Surrounding Area, Northwest Peru.
BPZ (2005). License Block XIX. Integrated Report on First Period.
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tectono-sédimentaire du Golfe de Guayaquil: bassin d'avant-arc néogène et quaternaire, sur décrochement, au
sud des Andes équatoriennes. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Earth and Planetary Sciences, 328, 181-187.
Fildani A., Hanson A. D., Chen Z., Moldowan J. M., Graham S. A., & Arriola P. R. (2005) - Geochemical
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OXY, Sucursal del Perú (2001). Reporte Final Block Z-3 Cuenca Progreso-Tumbes.
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