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Undiscovered petroleum of the Brazilian interior sag basins

J. Kingston·J.R. Matzko
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Abstract

This paper, the second in a series dealing with undiscovered petroleum in South American basins (exclusive of Venezuela and Colombia), focuses on the four large intracratonic (or interior) sag basins of Brazil: the Solimoes, Amazonas, Parnaiba, and Parana. The smaller Chaco basin also is discussed, although in less detail. Preliminary estimates of undiscovered hydrocarbons in the five basins are 0.228 billion barrels of oil (BBO) and 11.870 trillion cubic feet of gas (TCFG). Because the mean values originally estimated by the World Energy Resources Program at the U.S. Geological Survey appear to be low when viewed in light of the recent (1983-1993) history of petroleum reserves in South America, the mean values were revised upward based on the original identified reserves. The recalculated mean values are 10.18 BBO and 20.52 TCFG. In general, exploration in these basins is in an immature stage. The Solimoes basin has the greatest initial estimated undiscovered reserves of oil (0.04 BBO), and the Parana basin has the greatest initial estimated undiscovered reserves of gas (5.08 TCFG). The most important plays in the Solimoes and structurally similar Amazonas basins are the fold and fault closures associated with the wrench systems found in the basins. The plays in the Parana basin are limited to possible structural traps linked to faultassociated closures, and possibly to some wrench-related features.

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J. Kingston, J.R. Matzko. 2010-07-06. Undiscovered petroleum of the Brazilian interior sag basins. https://doi.org/10.1080/00206819509465435

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