The Poza Rica Field, discovered in 1930, is the world's largest deepwater carbonate hydrocarbon accumulation. Our two-phase project for PEMEX Exploración y Producción (PEP) will provide a state-of-the-art 3-D reservoir characterization model for giant Poza Rica field in the offshore Gulf of Mexico. Phase 1, begun in 2002, included data preparation, stratigraphic framework analysis, and initial petrophysical analysis. Phase 2 (2003) will include in-field stratigraphic and structural analysis.

Giant Poza Rica field produces from carbonate turbidites and debris flows shed from the adjacent Tuxpan Platform (Golden Lane field). To date, extensive sedimentological and petrophysical studies have been carried out on the field, but an integrated study comprising detailed sedimentologic descriptions of core material through core-, log-, and seismic-based sequence stratigraphic analysis through 3-D property modeling and upscaling has not been undertaken. This project will incorporate the Bureau's special talents in carbonate sequence stratigraphy, reservoir characterization, and 3-D modeling, which will allow this comprehensive study to be undertaken by a single, integrated group. The researchers will apply the latest sequence stratigraphic and seismic facies techniques to define the distribution of flow units within this giant, complex reservoir.