Campos Basin

2-D Compositional Basin Modeling Study

A two-dimensional (2-D) basin modeling study has been conducted in the Campos Basin to provide a better understanding of its petroleum systems. This is one of a series of regional 2-D modeling studies being developed jointly by GEOCHEMICAL SOLUTIONS and BEICIP-FRANLAB to evaluate the petroleum potential of several exploration areas along the Brazilian marginal basins. The Campos model is based on a regional NW-SE cross-section extending from the shallow offshore area to the salt dome province.

Basin modeling has become an essential tool for petroleum exploration. It allows the explorationist an integrated, dynamic means by which to simulate basin evolution and petroleum generation, expulsion and migration. It also provides insights into fundamental questions such as:

1) where are the source rock "kitchens"?
2) what is the timing of petroleum generation, expulsion and migration for each source rock interval?
3) what are possible migration pathways from source rocks to reservoirs?
4) what is the significance of faults as migration pathways?
5) how effective must drains and seals be in order to have commercial accumulations?
6) what are the expected oil and gas compositions in a hydrocarbon trap?

BEICIP-FRANLAB's Temispack 2-D basin modeling software has been used in this project. Temispack was developed by the Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP) and has been significantly enhanced during the last 15 years. It affords capabilities not available in similar commercial software, such as the prediction of oil and gas compositions, as well as gas/oil ratios and phase split.

The model results are provided in a comprehensive report that illustrates the evolution of the above-mentioned processes through time. A synthesis of the modeling results and their implications to petroleum prospectivity of some exploratory plays is also presented.