30 | Halliburton Landmark
Exploration Insights | 31
INSIGHTS FROM PLAY CROSS SECTIONS
Analogues
Application of knowledge from proven plays aids the identification of analogues in frontier
basins. The use of analogues helps to define play concepts and decrease exploration risk. For
example, if an analogous basin along the margin has a proven play consisting of deep-marine
clastic turbidites, we may expect to see the same play potential in the basin of interest if
they are tectono-stratigraphically similar.
K 2019
YEAR OF THE
CRETACEOUS
Analogues can be local, regional, or global and can encompass a range of factors, such as:
» » Similarities in the architectural framework and the type of basin
» » The same reservoir observed in different trapping mechanisms
» » Similar reservoirs in adjacent basins where a working source rock has been identified
» » Correlation to the conjugate margin
Predicting New Plays
Understanding the exploration history of an area identifies successful, failed, and target
plays. This can be used to generate new play concepts by extending working plays or
identifying new ideas (Figure 8).
In Figure 8, known data from wells and proven plays depict the working elements of the
system. From this, plays can be predicted by:
» » Going deeper — In a basin with working petroleum systems, are there deeper plays
related to older source rocks that might be present, which are yet to be tested?
» » Extending laterally — Are there other areas along strike of the working feature that
could be exploration targets? For example, if shoreface sands are prospective in one
basin along a margin, do the other basins along the margin have the same potential?
» » Extending distally — If a play is proven in the proximal setting, could it be extended
into the deeper basin? If there are proven reservoir quality sands in the shoreface,
the application of sequence stratigraphy suggests that associated deep-marine
turbidites could also be prospective.
» » Finding new play elements — From wider regional understanding or through use
of analogues, can any other potential play elements be identified that are yet to be
tested in the area?
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A Global Approach to Ranking
Exploration Potential
Sarah Laird, Mike Simmons, and Rebecca Head are thanked for their contributions to this
article. Offshore Cretaceous plays have yielded some of the most significant
discoveries of the last decade. With so many underexplored
opportunities, how can we efficiently identify the remaining potential?
REFERENCES • Create global chance maps through an integrated analysis of the
Neftex ® Insights portfolio
• Assess presence and effectiveness of petroleum system elements
to rank opportunities
DISCLAIMER • Identify critical geological risks and the appropriate analogues
This article is a synthesis based upon published data
and information, and derived knowledge created within
Halliburton. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, no
proprietary client data has been used in its preparation.
If client data has been used, permission will have
been obtained and is acknowledged. Reproduction of
any copyrighted image is with the permission of the
copyright holder and is acknowledged. The opinions
found in the articles may not necessarily reflect the
views and/or opinions of Halliburton Energy Services,
Inc. and its affiliates including but not limited to
Landmark Graphics Corporation. Contact us today to find out how we are bringing together cutting-
edge geoscience content and sophisticated geoprocessing techniques
on the cloud to achieve basin screening in minutes.
Gluyas, J. and R. Swarbrick 2004. Petroleum Geoscience. Blackwell Publishing Ltd (Wiley-Blackwell), 1-359 p.
(GURBB_234804).
AUTHOR
Emily Firth, Team Lead — Chance Mapping,
Halliburton Landmark
Since joining in 2014, Emily has gained
experience working on several teams
across the company, including content
management, rock properties, and seismic integration.
Emily now manages the Chance Mapping team,
delivering basin-scale play screening. Emily holds
a Master of Geology degree from the University of
Leicester.