Cuencas Andinas 1

PETROLEUM SYSTEMS OF THE MARAÑON BASIN – PERU

Alejandro Chalco1 and Kiko Valencia2

1
Cepsa Perú S.A., Lima, Perú, alejandro.chalco@cepsaperu.com
2
Petro-Tech Peruana S.A., Lima, Perú, kvalencia@petro-tech.com.pe

Keywords: Marañón, Chonta, Pucará.

RESUMEN. SISTEMAS DE PETRÓLEO DE LA CUENCA MARAÑÓN – PERÚ.

La Cuenca de antepaís Marañón esta activa desde el Cretácico. El petróleo generado en esta
cuenca ha sido correlacionado mediante biomarcadores e isótopos, con rocas madres marinas del
Triásico-Jurásico y del Cretácico Tardío. La expulsión de crudo comienza en el Cretácico y perdura
hasta la actualidad. Estos petróleos están contenidos en anticlinales Cretácicos-Terciarios o en
trampas estratigráficas Cretácicas, dentro de reservorios de areniscas fluvio-estuarinas o marinas. El
sistema petrolero Pucará-Cetico (!), esta ubicado en la parte central y sur de la cuenca, en tanto que
el sistema petrolero Chonta-Vivian (!), se encuentra en la parte norte de la misma. Ambos son sistemas
de petróleo probados. Existen cocinas fósiles, a lo largo de la faja subandina y cocinas activas, dentro
del “Foredeep” de la cuenca, para ambos sistemas de petróleo. Existen otras rocas madre potenciales
de edad Ordovícica, Devónica, Carbonífera y Oligocénica.

BASIN GEOLOGY
Located between 2° and 7° South Latitude (Figure 1), the Marañón sub-basin is part of a NNW-SSE
to NW-SE trending Cretaceous to Cenozoic foreland basin (Type IIA according to Klemme classification
system), known as the Oriente or Napo Basin in Ecuador, the Putumayo Basin in Colombia and the Acre
Basin in Brazil. It is bounded to the West by the subandean thrust belt, to the East by the Iquitos
Forebulge Arc, to the North by the Cutucú uplift and to the south by the Contaya High. Within Peru it
has an area of 240,000 km2. The basin has an asymmetric and N-S elongated shape, with maximum
subsidence to the West (Lay, 1991; Mathalone & Montoya, 1995; Alvarez-Calderón, 1997a; Gómez et
al, 1997; Oliveira et al, 1997; Valencia & Chalco, 2004).
The Marañón Basin is emplaced over NW-SE trending Paleozoic pericratonic basins and over
NW-SE to N-S trending Permo-Jurassic rift basins along the South America craton (Mathalone &
Montoya, 1995).
The sedimentary fill of the Paleozoic basin is composed of four sedimentary cycles (Figures 2 & 3),
separated by a widespread angular unconformity from the sedimentary cycle of the Jurassic rift basins.
These sedimentary cycles are composed of: Middle Ordovician marine clastics, (Contaya Fm), Middle
to Late Devonian marine clastics (Cabanillas Gr), Mississippian fluviodeltaic clastics (Ambo Gr),
Pennsylvanian to Early Permian marine clastics and carbonates (Tarma-Copacabana Grs), and
Jurassic rift volcanics, volcaniclastics, marine platform carbonates, evaporites and continental clastics
(Pucara Gr and Sarayaquillo Fm). All these cycles were controlled by the Guyana Shield towards the
East, and after the Eohercynian orogeny (350-355 ma) by the Contaya High, located towards the South.
The Jurassic cycle is restricted to the Western flank of the basin by a so called “hingeline”, bounding
the western flank of the basin forebulge (Cavalcante & de Paula, 1991; Eduardo, 1991; Mathalone &
Montoya; 1995; de la Cruz, 1997; Alemán et al, 1999; Wine et al, 2005).
2 Alejandro Chalco and Kiko Valencia

Figure 1. Marañón Basin location map.

 Cuencas Andinas 3

Figure 2. Marañón Basin composite seismic line. Note Paleozoic and Jurassic reflector truncations (“Hingeline”),
between Sungachi and Valencia wells.

The Marañón Basin sedimentary fill, is separated from older sedimentary cycles by a widespread
angular unconformity, marking the onset of the proto-Andean foreland basin evolution. The Marañón
Basin contains 4 sedimentary cycles: Aptian to Cenomanian, Turonian to Campanian, Campanian to
Paleoene and Eocene to Recent (Cavalcante and de Paula, 1991; Mathalone & Montoya, 1995).
The Aptian to Cenomanian cycle is composed of Aptian-Albian braided fluvial sandstones
(Cushabatay Fm), capped by shallow marine transgressive shales and carbonates (Raya Fm) and
towards the top, by Cenomanian shallow marine to fluvial clastics (Agua Caliente Fm), cut by a eustatic
erosive truncation.
The Turonian to Campanian sedimentary cycle is composed of Late Turonian marine
transgressive clastics and carbonates (Chonta Sand and Chonta Limestone members), grading
eastwards over the “hingeline”, into fluvial, deltaic (?) and estuarine clastics (Cetico member of the
Chonta formation), Early Coniacian marine to proximal deltaic shales and carbonates (Lupuna and
Upper Chonta Fm), Coniacian to Early Campanian shallow marine clastics and carbonates grading
eastwards, again over the “hingeline”, into fluviodeltaic clastics (Pona and Chonta Shale members of
the Chonta Fm).
4 Alejandro Chalco and Kiko Valencia

The Campanian to Paleogene sedimentary cycle is composed of Campanian and Maastrichtian

fluvioestuarine clastics (Vivian and Cachiyacu Fms), partially eroded towards the West by Early Eocene
red beds (Yahuarango Fm), onlaping over the basement along the Eastern flank of the basin.

Figure 3. Marañón Basin generalized stratigraphic chart.

 Cuencas Andinas 5

The Late Eocene to Early Oligocene cycle is composed of shallow marine transgressive clastics
(Pozo Fm), deposited over an erosive surface, conformably covered by Oligocene continental fine
grained clastics (Chambira Fm), Middle Miocene lacustrine to marginal marine clastics, coals and
carbonates (Pebas Fm), and Pliocene to Recent red beds (Laurent, 1997). All Marañón Basin cycles
onlap the Guyana Shield towards the East and after Paleogene tectonic events, also the Marañón High
(Levot & Poulain, 1997; Alemán et al, 1999).

SOURCE ROCKS
The commercial oil production in the basin has been correlated to the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic
(Pucara Group), to the Late Cretaceous (Raya and Chonta formations) (CoreLab, 1996; Aleman et al,
1999; Wine et al, 2005).

Proven Source Rocks

The Pucará Group samples from the Cutucú uplift, at SW Ecuador, and from Uchumarca and
Gallohuancana creeks, at Huallaga Basin, SW of the Marañón Basin (Figures 1 and 4), have good
source rock quality and maturity for oil generation (TOC 2% to 14%; 100% amorphous organic matter
with 30% fluorescence; Ro 0.89%; TMAX 448°C, Type II kerogen) (CoreLab, 1996; Aleman et al, 1999;
Alvarez-Calderón, 2004; Valencia & Chalco, 2004; Fernández et al, 2005).
Along the Napo and Cutucú mountains and the Northern Marañón Basin margin (Pongo de
Manseriche), Albian, Cenomanian-Turonian and Santonian-Campanian anoxic shales and limestones of
the Napo and Chonta/Raya formation have source rock potential (0.5 to 12 % TOC, Type II kerogen)
(Alvarez-Calderón, 1997b; Alvarez-Calderón, 2004; Valencia & Chalco, 2004; Figures 4 and 5). The
samples from the Northwest Marañón Basin wells Situche, Yañez, Huasaga and Andoas (Figure 1), also
contain mature source rock (>2 % TOC, TMAX> 435°C).
Both proven source rocks, Chonta and Pucará can be correlated using a Sterane biomarker
distribution chart, with the two main oils families identified in the basin (Figure 6).

Potential Source Rocks

The basin contains Ordovician, Devonian, Carboniferous and Oligocene potential source rocks with
no oil to source rock correlation established so far (Lunn & Eisner, 1995; von der Dick, 2000; Wine et al,
2005).
The Ordovician and Devonian shales (Contaya and Cabanillas formations, respectively), in the
SW part of the basin are organically rich (TOC 1.1% to 3%), but the survival of hydrocarbons
generated from these source rocks during the Carboniferous to early Permian is unlikely. The
Carboniferous shales of the Ambo Formation also have a high organic content (TOC 2.08%) but are
overmature (Ro 1.54% to 3%).
The Oligocene samples of the Pozo Formation have TOC values of 0.1% to 3.5%, (Figure 5) with
type I and type II kerogen, but are immature in most areas of the Marañón Basin.
6 Alejandro Chalco and Kiko Valencia

Figure 4. HI-OI crossplot of Chonta Fm samples from Figure 5. Generation Potential of Pozo Shale Mb. and
Foredeep and Western flank of Marañón Basin and Chonta Fm. Source Rocks at the basin foredeep.
Pucará Samples from Gallohuancana area. Most
samples plot as Kerogen Type II and II-III.

Figure 6: Sterane Ternary Diagram with Marañón Oils correlation.

 Cuencas Andinas 7

MAIN GENERATION ZONES

The Marañón Basin has two former and two active oil “kitchens”. The former kitchens containing
Jurassic source rocks (Aramachay Fm of the Pucara Gr) and Cretaceous source rocks (Napo or
Chonta/Raya fms), respectively, were located along the subandean fold and thrust belt (von der Dick,
2000).
The active kitchens containing Jurassic (?) and Cretaceous source rocks (Chonta and Raya Fm)
are located along the Marañón Oriente basins foredeep, to the East of 76° Longitude (Marksteiner &
Aleman, 1997; Alemán et al, 1999; von der Dick, 2000).

Maturity
The modeling of the former kitchen with Jurassic source rock (Pucará Gr), located along the current
subandean fold and thrust belt (Ponasillo well at Huallaga Basin), indicates that oil expulsion occurred
throughout the Cretaceous and gas expulsion started during the Neogene (von der Dick,2000, Valencia
& Chalco, 2004). The Pucara source rock in the Western flank of the Marañón Basin (Mahuaca and
Tigrillo wells), entered the oil window in the Late Albian to Early Oligocene times, reaching the peak oil
generation at the Maastrichtian and the oil expulsion between the Early Eocene to the Early Miocene
times. The buried remnants of this kitchen are within the dry gas window in the Marañon Basin foredeep
(Marksteiner & Aleman, 1997; Alemán et al, 1999; Fernandez et al, 2005, Wine et al, 2005). The Jurassic
oil thermal maturity estimate for oil samples taken from the Southern Marañón Basin fields, range from
Roe 0.6% to 1.0% (Alvarez-Calderón, 2004).
The Turonian (Chonta Fm) and the Albian (Raya Fm) source rocks are in the oil window since the
Late Cretaceous in the former kitchen located along the Santiago basin fold and thrust belt, while the
active kitchen located within Marañon depocenter is still active at present time (Marksteiner & Aleman,
1997; Wine et al, 2005). Oil expulsion from the Chonta source rock former kitchen at the Santiago Basin
fold and thrust belt (Comaina area and Tanguintza wells), occurred during the Miocene, while oil
expulsion from the Marañón basin depocenter is still occurring (Alvarez-Calderón, 1997b; von der Dick,
2000).
The Cretaceous oil thermal maturity estimate for oil samples taken from Northern Marañón Basin
fields, range from Ro equivalent of 0.75% to 1.1%. A hypothetical well, located close to Pongo de
Manseriche kitchen area (Figure 7), was used for the thermal modeling at Marañón Basin foredeep. This
model shows that Chonta and Raya Formations are still in the Oil window and active at present time in
this part of the basin.

MIGRATION PATHWAYS - TIMING

Each of the Marañón Basin kitchens has its own migration pathways and timing.
The former kitchen with Jurassic source rocks is currently partially exhumed, its carrier beds cut by
Paleogene halokinetics and Miocene tectonics, although its remnants within the Marañón Basin
foredeep (Chapuli 1X well area), are still within the gas window (Marksteiner & Aleman, 1997; Aleman
et al, 1999; Chalco, 1999; Wine et al, 2005).
8 Alejandro Chalco and Kiko Valencia

Figure 7. Pongo de Manseriche kitchen Modeling and subsidence history shows that Chonta Fm. was in
the oil window between 15 to 3 Ma.

The carrier beds for this kitchen were the basal sandstones of the Pucara Group and the overlying
Late Jurassic red-bed sequence (Sarayaquillo Fm., Diaz, 2002). The Jurassic oil migrated along
Jurassic carrier beds until reaching the regional truncation of the Jurassic stratigraphic units, or moved
vertically through the fault system (Figure 8). To the East of the truncation, the oil crossed the base
Cretaceous unconformity into the Aptian-Albian quartzarenites of the Cushabatay Formation, which
acted as a regional carrier
bed and then moved
vertically by sandstone
juxtaposition along
reactivated faults
(Marksteiner & Aleman,
1997; Aleman et al, 1999;
Chalco, 1999; Valencia &
Chalco, 2004). Any trap
charged from this kitchen
has to be older than
Miocene age.

Figure 8. Pucará-Cetico
(!) Petroleum System
Migration Model.
 Cuencas Andinas 9

The former kitchen with Cretaceous source rocks (Chonta and Raya fms), located to the West of the
Napo/Cutucú high and in the North part of the Santiago Basin foldbelt, was activated during the Late
Cretaceous by subandean thrust sheet stacking associated to the collision of the Piñón Terrane
(Marksteiner & Aleman, 1997; Alemán et al, 1999).
This kitchen was partially exhumed by the Middle Eocene Napo-Cutucu uplifts and by the Santiago
Basin thrust belt. The Cretaceous oil from this kitchen moved into the Northern Marañón Basin from the
Late Cretaceous to Middle Eocene time through Cretaceous carrier beds (Agua Caliente Fm, Chonta
Sand member of the Chonta Fm and Vivian Fm) and through faults for the top Cretaceous reservoirs
(Marksteiner & Aleman, 1997; Martinez & Erquiaga, 2003).
The relatively small active kitchens containing Chonta/Raya and Pucará (?) source rocks are
located at the current basin foredeep. This kitchen entered the oil window since Late Miocene to
Recent times (Marksteiner and Aleman, 1997; Alemán et al, 1999, Chalco et al, 2005). This
kitchen has restricted migration pathways trough the Cushabatay Formation, because of the loss
of its reservoir properties by overburden, but its Jurassic (?) and Cretaceous oils have been
migrating to shallower stratigraphic reservoir units (Vivian Fm and Chonta Sand members within
Chonta Fm), through small faults or through local lithofacies changes. Additionally there is a
simple and direct migration mechanism from Chonta source rock to Vivian carrier bed-reservoir
(Figure 9).

Figure 9. Chonta-Vivian (!) Petroleum System Migration Model.

Miocene subandean thrust sheet stacking caused the progressive deepening of the Foredeep and
warping of the Forebulge, causing the re-migration of Jurassic and Cretaceous hydrocarbons into traps
located further to the East or to the North (von der Dick, 2000; Rodriguez et al, 2002; Martinez &
Erquiaga, 2003). These traps are related to basement fault block inversion associated to the Forebulge
growth.
Considering the above information, although the charge time for Southern Marañón Basin traps with
Jurassic oil is the Oligocene and the charge time for Northern Marañón Basin traps with Cretaceous oil
10 Alejandro Chalco and Kiko Valencia

is the Pliocene to Recent time, the critical time for the Marañon basin traps is the Miocene (basin tilt
time).

GAE – GENERATION ACCUMULATION EFFICIENCY

Although all the fields containing Cretaceous oils are charged to spill point, the Cretaceous source
rock data for the Marañón Basin indicates that its petroleum generation potential is less prolific than that
of the Oriente Basin (Lay, 1991; Lay 2004). Our current SPI estimate is 0.6 metric tons per square meter
(4.5 barrels per square meter) for Chonta formation and 0.2 metric tons per square meter (1.3 barrels
per square meter) for Raya formation, respectively. Demaison & Huizinga (1994) in AAPG Memoir 60,
estimated 6 metric tons per square meter (44 barrels per square meter) for the Napo Formation of the
Oriente Basin.
The mass of hydrocarbons generated from Chonta and Raya formations at the Santiago fold and
thrust belt “paleokitchen” and at the Marañon Basin Foredeep active “kitchen” is HCG = 3x1012 Kg HC
(22x109 bo). Considering recoverable reserves of 1.03x109 bo (1.6x106 m3) for the Cretaceous oils in the
basin, the generation–accumulation efficiency (GAE) for the Chonta/Raya-Vivian (!) petroleum system is
14%. Please refer to Chart 1 for the basic parameters of each “kitchen” and “paleokitchen” and to Chart
2 for the GAE results.

Chart 1. Kitchen parameters used to GAE calculations.

The Late Triassic/Early Jurassic source rock generation potential estimated using information from
the Huallaga fold and thrust belt outcrops, is considered to be good (Lay, 2004). The under-fill
accumulations containing Late Triassic-Early Jurassic oil are probably related to late growth of the
original structure rather than to oil undercharge (Alemán et al, 1999). Our current SPI estimate for
Pucará is 1.2 metric tons per square meter (9 barrels per square meter). The mass of hydrocarbons
generated from the Huallaga Fold and Thrust Belt “paleokitchen” and from the Marañón Foredeep
active “kitchen” is HCG = 7x1012 Kg HC (53.5x109 bo). Considering recoverable reserves of 0.4 x109 bo
(0.6 x106 m3) of Jurassic oil in the basin, the generation–accumulation efficiency (GAE) for the Pucará-
Cetico (!) petroleum system is only 2.2%. This poor GAE can be explained by either a very winding
 Cuencas Andinas 11

migration route which includes oil migrated along Jurassic carrier beds until reaching the regional
truncation of the Jurassic stratigraphic units and then moving vertically through the reactivated fault
system or by recent remigration from paleotraps (Figure 8). These migration routes are highly inefficient
when compared with the simple and direct migration mechanisms from Chonta source rock to Vivian
carrier bed-reservoir (Figure 9). Please refer to Chart 1 for the basic kitchen parameters and to Chart 2
for the GAE results.

Chart 2. Generation Accumulation Efficiency and Reserves data.

SOURCE ROCK- HYDROCARBON CORRELATION

GC, GC/MS and carbon Isotopes have been used to correlate the oils from the basin with
Cretaceous and Triassic/Jurassic source rocks outcrops at the Marañón, Santiago and Huallaga basins
(von der Dick, 2000). Please refer to figure 1 for the outcrops location.
Terpane biomarker profiles correlate the Corrientes 6X oil from the Cetico member of the Chonta
formation to a Pucara Group carbonate outcrop sample from Uchumarca creek, Huallaga Basin (Figure
10) (CoreLab, 1996; von der Dick, 2000).

Figure 10. GC-MS correlation between Corrientes field oil and Pucará Group source rock extract
(Corelab, 1996).
12 Alejandro Chalco and Kiko Valencia

Another argument to assign a Late Triassic to Early Jurassic age to the Southern Marañón basin oils
is their content of small amounts of Dinosteranes, biomarkers derived from dinoflagellate, algae, dated
not older than Late Triassic.
Terpane and Sterane biomarkers correlate oil from the Tambo 1X well, in the Marañón Basin, with
extracts from a shale samples from Chonta Formation at Pongo de Manseriche (Figure 11) (Geomark,
1996; CoreLab, 1999; von der Dick, 2000). The multiple Cretaceous oil families identified in the basin
have been assigned to lithofacies changes in the Chonta and Raya formations (Geomark, 1996;
Alvarez-Calderón, 1997a; Alemán et al, 1999).

Figure 11. GC-MS correlation between Tambo field oil and Chonta Formation source rock extract
(Corelab, 1996).

Oil
The Cretaceous oils in the Vivian reservoir at the Northern part of the Marañon basin (Tambo,
Dorisa Capahuari Norte, Capahuari Sur, Forestal, Huayuri Norte, Huayuri Sur fields) are mature oils,
with low to high sulfur content, relatively high isoprenoid ratio (pr/Ph=1.6), MCH > nC7,
Pristane/nC17 (0.73 to 0.87) versus Phytane/nC18 (0.75 to 0.76), C19/C23 Tricyclic Terpanes ratios
of 0.21 to 0.26, smooth n-paraffin distribution and intermediate stable carbon isotopic composition
(d C14 Saturate = - 28.33 and d C14 Aromatic = –26.54). The abundance of Steranes relative to
Hopanes (S/H= 0.6 to 1), C35/C34 Homophane ratios of 0.83 to 0.92 and the presence of n-propyl
C30 steranes suggest an origin from moderately anoxic marine type II and III kerogen marls and
shales with some higher land plants input (Alvarez-Calderón, 1997b; Geomark, 1996; CoreLab,
1999; von der Dick, 2000; Uyén, 2004). Pristane/nC17 (0.61 to 0.71) versus Phytane7nC18 80.49 to
0.54), C19/C23 tricyclic terpanes ratios of 0.09 to 0.21, C27/C29 Sterane ratios greater than 1.43,
 Cuencas Andinas 13

as well as the presence of Diasteranes, Diahopanes and Bisnorhopane in the Chonta reservoir oils
from the Forestal Shiviyacu, Carmen, Huayuri Sur, Dorissa, Carmen, San Jacinto, Capahuari Norte
and Capahuari Sur fields, suggests an origin from marine anoxic shales (Alvarez-Calderón, 1997a;
CoreLab, 1999; von der Dick, 2000; Uyén, 2004). The combination of n-paraffins with demethylated
hopanes was postulated as an indication of the mixing of fresh and biodegraded hydrocarbons in
the Vivian reservoir at the San Jacinto, Forestal, Shiviyacu, Bartra and Carmen oilfields (Alvarez-
Calderón, 1997b). The C29 sterane ratios (20S/20R) and the triaromatic sterane (TAS3=0.57) in the
non-biodegraded oils from the NE Marañón Basin point to a kitchen in the main phase of oil
generation (% Ro between 0.8 and 1.0). Cretaceous oils from the Jibaro and Jibarito Fields contain
nuclear demethylated hopanes suggesting significant bacterial alteration (Geomark, 1996;
CoreLab, 1996).
The oil from the Corrientes and Chambira fields, has a pristane/phytane ratio of 0.8 to 1.15, low
Sterane /Hopanes ratios (S/H = 0.1 to 0.4), small Pristane/nC17 to Phytane/nC18 ratios (0.85-0.90), C19/C23
Tricyclic Terpane ratios of 0.16 to 0.64, C27/C29 Sterane ratios close to 1 (0.89 to 1.18) and low or
largely absent Diahopanes, suggesting a marine carbonate Type II kerogen source rock with algal-
bacterial organic matter, deposited under anoxic conditions with minimal terrestrial contribution, as
indicated by high C35/C34 homohopane ratios. The oil is slightly biodegraded, as pointed by the altered
n-Alkanes and the high Toluene/nC7 ratio. The pristane/nC17 versus phytane/nC17 plots indicate that the
oils are from a mature source (CoreLab, 1996; Geomark, 1996; von der Dick, 2000; Fernandez et al,
2005).

Gas
There is no commercial non-associated gas production in the basin. Associated gas is being
produced with the Cretaceous heavy oils from the Northeastern part of the basin, in the Jibaro/Jibarito
and the San Jacinto fields.

MAIN TRAP TYPES

The structural play concept has been developed for more than 30 years and is well known in the
basin; 90% of the structural traps in the basin are related to low relief differential compaction closures
(30 milliseconds or less), emplaced over reactivated Pre-Triassic rift features (Figure 12). The remaining
structural traps are either Hercynian reactivated basement fault blocks, Cretaceous graben fault blocks
inverted several times by Cenozoic tectonics or small structures related to halokinetics (Montoya, 1991;
Salas, 1991; Alvarez-Calderón, 1997a; Gómez et al, 1997; Lay, 2002; Mora et al, 2003; Valencia &
Chalco, 2004). The structures range in age from Aptian-Albian to the present day (Alemán et al, 1999;
Chalco et al, 2005). Due to oil remigration, traps of all ages are prospective (Lay, 2002; Wine et al,
2005).
The stratigraphic plays are relatively recent to this basin and much remains to be understood about
them yet. So far, stratigraphic traps (Figure 13) are related to Campanian-Maastrichtian and Turonian
clastic or carbonate lithofacies changes, close to reactivated Pre-Triassic features or to halokinetic
structures (Ardila, 2002; Guevara et al, 2002; Romero et al, 2002; Martinez & Erquiaga, 2003; Chalco &
Gonzales, 2004; Valencia & Chalco, 2004; Wine et al, 2005).
14 Alejandro Chalco and Kiko Valencia

Figure 12. Seismic section of the Capirona and the Pavayacu structures, formed as a result of
tectonic inversion folding.

Commercial accumulations with a stratigraphic trapping component have been encountered in the
Carmen Este, Huayuri Norte and Shiviyacu NE fields and are related to Campanian-Maastrichtian facies
changes in the Vivian reservoir, apparently controlled by relative sea level changes from falling stage
system tract to lowstand system tract (Chalco & Gonzales, 2004; Valencia & Chalco 2004).

Figure 13. Seismic section showing an amplitude “doublet” in the Carmen Este geomorphic trap
formed by facies variation and differential compaction in Upper Vivian unit.
 Cuencas Andinas 15

Until 2008, 42 oil accumulations were discovered in the Marañón Basin (Chart 3).

Chart 3. The Marañón Basin Oil discoveries.

16 Alejandro Chalco and Kiko Valencia

The reservoir, seal, migration and preservation of Marañón Basin petroleum systems are addressed
in the following paragraphs.

PETROLEUM SYSTEMS MAIN RESERVOIRS

The Turonian Cetico Member of the Chonta formation is the main reservoir for the Pucará-Cetico (!)
petroleum system, while the Vivian formation is the main reservoir for the Chonta-Vivian (!) petroleum
system, but there are additional reservoirs for both petroleum systems such as the Pona and Lupuna
Members of the Chonta formation, the Eocene Pozo Basal Member of the Pozo formation and the
Aptian-Albian Cushabatay Formation.
The Campanian-Maasthrichtian Vivian formation reservoirs have a relatively homogeneous
depositional environment throughout the basin. Porosity/depth charts suggest that this formation lost
reservoir quality at depths greater than 4 kilometers by compaction and by pervasive quartz
cementation. Vivian average porosity for massive and planar cross-bedded sandstones is 12% to 24%,
with permeabilities ranging from 100 mD to 3000mD. Vivian main reservoir facies are fluvio-estuarine
channel bars bounded by paleosols or flooding surfaces or shallow marine to estuarine sand bodies
(Alvarez-Calderón, 1997a; Valasek et al., 1997; Alemán et al, 1999; Lay, 2002; Valencia & Chalco, 2004;
Chalco & Gonzales, 2004).
The Cenomanian-Coniacian sandstones of the Chonta (Pona, Lupuna and Chonta sand/Cetico
members) and the Agua Caliente formations reservoir quality is controlled by the burial depth and by
lithofacies changes (burrowing, glauconite rich sands, cementation and depositional clays). Most
massive and cross-stratified sandstones have better reservoir qualities (porosity 12% to 20%, average
permeability of 800-1600 mD, R35 pore throat radii ranging from 5-120 microns), than burrowed
sandstones (average porosity of 16%, permeability of only 13 mD and pore throat radii less than 2
microns) (Alvarez-Calderón, 1997b; Valasek et al.,1997; Alemán et al, 1999; Valencia & Chalco, 2004).
The best Chonta reservoirs quality facies are aggradational incised valley fluvial channel deposits
and trough to tabular cross-bedded and asymmetrically rippled upper shoreface facies. Burrowed and
glauconite rich lower shoreface and shelf facies have the lowest reservoir quality (Valasek et al., 1997).

PETROLEUM SYSTEMS MAIN SEALS

The seal rocks for the Cretaceous oils are marine Albian shales of the Raya Formation, marine
ramp Coniacian carbonates of the Chonta Formation, shallow marine Campanian Shales of the
Cachiyacu Formation and floodplain Cretaceous to Paleogene claystones of the Yahuarango
Formation (Figure 3).
The seal rocks for the Jurassic oils are the marine to fluviodeltaic Turonian, Coniacian and
Santonian shales of the Chonta Formation, the floodplain Paleogene claystones of the Yahuarango
Formation and the shallow marine Oligocene shales of the Pozo Formation (Valencia & Chalco,
2004).

PETROLEUM SYSTEMS PROCESSES

The high salinity formation waters in the Chonta reservoir of the Capahuari Norte, Capahuari Sur,
Tambo, Carmen, Huayuri Sur, Dorissa, Ceci, Shiviyacu, Jibaro-Jibarito and San Jacinto fields (>85,000
ppm of NaCl), suggests the former presence of a hydraulic head, that striped NaCl from salt domes
located near the foredeep (Alemán et al, 1999). This paleo-hydrodynamic flow probably played an
important role in hydrocarbon migration. However, the hydrodynamic updip flow has probably slowed
 Cuencas Andinas 17

down after the Miocene, when the carrier beds lost their porosity and permeability. Nowadays a few oil
fields in the Northern Marañon Sub-basin have a weak poorly constrained inclined oil-water contact
(Alemán et al, 1999).
Some of the hydrodynamic processes could have played an important role in altering the
composition of hydrocarbons in the Marañon Basin. A strong oil water-washing effect has been
documented for the Capahuari Fields (Alvarez-Calderón, 1997a), interpreted as being caused by the
erosion of Late Cretaceous rocks during Middle Eocene uplift of the Cutucú Mountains (Del Solar, 1982;
Aleman et al, 1999; Martinez & Erquiaga, 2003). The continuous eastward influx of meteoric waters to
present day and an early oil charge into the easternmost fields of the basin when their reservoirs where
at temperatures below 80°C, might account for the biodegradation and water flushing in the Jibaro-
Jibarito, San Jacinto, Bartra, Tigre, Raya, Dorado, Paiche, Yanayacu and Bretaña oilfields (Valencia &
Chalco, 2004).

Proven Petroleum Systems

There are three proven petroleum systems (Figure 14) within the Marañón Basin, with source rock
to oil correlation based on biomarkers.
The Pucará - Cetico (!) petroleum system has a Late Triassic to Early Jurassic source rock that has
been correlated to the oils from Turonian quartzarenite sandstone reservoirs by biomarkers. This
petroleum system is distributed in the Central and southern part of the Marañón Basin, as well as in the
Northern part of the Ucayali Basin. In the Marañón Basin it includes the Chambira Este, Corrientes,
Capirona, Pavayacu, Yanayacu, Bretaña oilfields. The Corrientes field, the biggest field in the Basin
(210x106 bo) belongs to this petroleum system.
The Chonta -Vivian (!) petroleum system has Cenomanian to Santonian source rock that has been
correlated to the oils contained in Campanian to Maastrichtian reservoirs using GC-MS. Its geographic
distribution spans all the northern part of the basin and the southern part of the Oriente Basin (Figure
14). In the Marañón Basin it includes the Situche Central, Capahuari Norte, Capahuari Sur, Tambo,
Carmen, Huayuri Norte, Huayuri Sur, Dorissa, Ceci, Forestal, Shiviyacu, Shivyacu NE, Pilar, Jíbaro-
Jibarito, San Jacinto, Bartra, Tigre, Cunambo, Dorado, Piraña, Paiche, Raya, Delfín and Buena Vista
oilfields. This is the most prolific petroleum system in the Peruvian side of the basin and contains the
largest number of fields (over 26).
The Petroleum Systems extension of both Pucará - Cetico (!) and Chonta -Vivian (!) is showing in
Figure 14.
The Raya-Cushabatay (!) petroleum system is the southern extension of the Oriente Basin Basal
Napo-Hollín petroleum system which is poorly known in Perú. It has been identified in the northern and
central part of the Marañón Basin (Capahuari & Gineayacu). It has an Albian source rock correlated
using GC-MS to the oil recovered from the Guineayacu 1X well from the Aptian to Albian sandstones of
the Cushabatay Fm.
The Capahuari Sur field is expected to start producing from this petroleum system on the year 2009
because of a deep well is going to be drilled in order to produce the oil tested in old wells.
18 Alejandro Chalco and Kiko Valencia

Figure 14. Marañón Basin Petroleum Systems Map showing the geographic extent of that over the Pucará
Gr. Isochron contour Map.
 Cuencas Andinas 19

Hypothetical Petroleum Systems

The Pozo – Pozo (.) petroleum system in the western part of the basin has several oil seeps
correlated to the Pozo shale source rock, but no commercial accumulation discovered yet (Geomark,
1996; Lunn & Eisner, 1995). Pozo Sand Member is productive reservoir in Corrientes Field (from Pucara
oils) while Pozo Shale Member has also good source rock generation potential (Figure 5) and are almost
mature (Roe = 0.72 – 0.83 and Tmax=439-444°) in Situche Well. Therefore Pozo-Pozo (.) petroleum
system could have an analogy migration-accumulation model of Chonta-Vivian (!) for structures located
in Marañón Basin foredeep and neighboring areas.
The Pucará - Pucará (.) petroleum system in the southwestern part of the basin, is a Late Triassic
to Early Jurassic source rock that could have charged gas into the Jurassic high energy intratidal
carbonate reservoir facies of the Shanusi 1X well (Wine et al, 2005). No commercial accumulation is
currently available from this petroleum system.

Speculative Petroleum Systems

The Cabanillas - Ambo (?) petroleum system in the southeastern part of the Marañón Basin has the
same lithofacies as the Jandiatuba – Juruá (.) petroleum system, of the neighboring Solimoes Basin
(Wine et al, 2005).
The Cabanillas- Cabanillas (?) petroleum system in the southeastern Marañón Basin has also been
proposed considering its source and reservoir rock potential (Lunn & Eisner, 1995).

PETROLEUM SYSTEMS EVENT CHARTS

Event charts for the proven petroleum systems showing the relationship between its elements and
processes are included in this paper. Please refer to figures 15 and 16.

Figure 15. Pucará – Cetico (!) petroleum system events chart.

20 Alejandro Chalco and Kiko Valencia

Figure 16. Chonta – Vivian (!) petroleum system events chart.

PETROLEUM SYSTEM RESERVES DISTRIBUTION (EUR) & POTENTIAL RESOURCES

Robertson Research (1990) and Petroperú (1995), estimated the ultimate reserves range from
0.9x109 to 1.9x109 bo for the Marañón Basin. Adding up the reserves from the Pucará-Cetico (!) and the
Vivian-Chonta (!) petroleum systems, our EUR estimate is 1.42 x 109 bo.
The Marañón Basin potential resources are range from 5.5x109 to 7x109 bo (Petroperú, 1995; Mora
et al, 2003). Considering our estimated ultimate reserves (EUR) and Mass of hydrocarbon generated
(HCG) estimates for the two proven petroleum systems in the basin, our assessment is that the Marañón
Basin potential resources have a P50 value of 2.7 x 109 bo.

AKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors as former Pluspetrol employees are deeply thankful for its permission to publish this
paper. The interpretations and conclusions in this paper are responsibility of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the views of Pluspetrol.

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