Open-File Report 2015–1112

Geology and Assessment of Unconventional Oil and Gas Resources of Northeastern Mexico
Introduction By U.S. Geological Survey Mexico Assessment Team Sabinas Basin Discussion
The quantitative methodology used by the USGS for this assessment of unconventional oil and
2015 The USGS approach to defining AUs in the Turonian Agua Nueva Formation and gas resources differs from that used in other unconventional assessments. The differences in method-
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation in the Tithonian La Casita Formation of the Sabinas Basin began with the map showing ology must be considered when attempting to compare assessment results. The potential area assessed
by the USGS must have source rocks with greater than 2 weight-percent TOC, have greater than 15
with the U.S. Department of State, quantitatively assessed the distribution of TOC greater than 1 weight-percent (figs. 17 and 18). Using analog

the potential for unconventional oil and gas resources with-

Northeastern Mexico Tampico-Misantla Basin Burgos Basin percentages for areas with greater than 2 weight-percent from the Tampico-Misantla Ba-
sin, the AUs were defined as areas with greater than 2 weight-percent TOC, and with
meter thickness of organic-rich shale, be within the proper thermal maturation windows for oil or gas
generation. The maps supplied by PEMEX for the Agua Nueva and La Casita Formations in the Bur-
Geologic Provinces gos Basin and Sabinas Basin were based on greater than 1 weight-percent TOC, so the areas used in
in the onshore portions of the Tampico-Misantla Basin, 102° 100° 98° 96° 94° 92°
Tithonian Pimienta / La Casita Formation The USGS approach to defining AUs in the Turonian Agua Nueva Formation and in the Tithonian La Casita Formation of the additional condition that because of adverse effects of tectonism only about one the USGS assessments (>2 weight-percent TOC) are less than that shown on the PEMEX maps.
32°
the Burgos Basin began with the map showing the distribution of TOC greater than one weight-percent (figs. 12–14). Using third of the remaining area was estimated to have potential for shale oil or shale gas.
Burgos Basin, and Sabinas Basin provinces of northeastern The USGS approach to defining assessment units in the Tithonian Pimienta / La Casita Formation of the Tampico-Misantla Basin began with the map showing the distri- analog percentages for areas with greater than 2 weight-percent from the Tampico-Misantla Basin, the AUs were defined as Assessment Input
Mexico (fig. 1). Unconventional resources of the Veracruz 30° bution of total organic carbon (TOC) (fig. 4). The intersection of the map of TOC greater than 2 weight-percent (fig. 5) with the thermal maturity map (fig. 6) produced the areas with greater than 2 weight-percent TOC. Agua Nueva Shale Gas AU La Casita Shale Gas AU Input to the assessment of unconventional oil and gas resources includes several key pa-
UNITED STATES AU map (fig. 7) for the modal shale-oil area (green) and shale-gas area (red) used in the assessment. rameters that represent probability distributions that illustrate the uncertainty in these parameters
Basin were not quantitatively assessed because of a current
102° 101° 100° 99° 98° 103° 102° 101° 100° 99° 98°

28° 100° 99° 98° 97° 96° 100° 99° 98° 97° 96°
Agua Nueva Shale Oil AU Agua Nueva Shale Gas AU La Casita Shale Gas AU 29° TURONIAN TITHONIAN
(table 1). The distribution of potential area incorporates TOC, maturity, depth, and thickness data,
lack of required geological information. Unconventional
100° 99° 98° 97° 96° 100° 99° 98° 97° 96°
Sabinas Basin
Province TITHONIAN TITHONIAN TITHONIAN TITHONIAN and represents one of the key sources of geologic uncertainty. The distributions for estimated

Ma

Ma
102° 101° 100° 99° 98° 102° 101° 100° 99° 98° 103° 102° 101° 100° 99° 98° 29°

TOC THERMAL

gis
TOC FINAL

gis
Tau
Burgos

cat
ultimate recovery (EUR), well drainage areas, and success ratio are from U.S. analog
Burgos Burgos

Ma
TURONIAN TURONIAN

cat
TITHONIAN

resources include shale gas, shale oil, tight gas, tight oil,
Burgos Basin 29° 29°

ma
Basin

Tau
zin
Basin Basin

gis

Tau
zin
Tau
26° Province

ulip

Ma
Province

Ba

m
cat
Province Province

>1 WEIGHT- MATURITY

Ba
Agua Nueva

m
> 2 WEIGHT - AU MAP

ma

aul
Burgos Basin
unconventional accumulations.

gi

aul
si
24°

as
24° 28°

zin

si
24° 24°
Shale Oil

n
sca

ul

ipa

n
Province

Arc

ipa
ipa
Ba
29°

and coalbed gas. Undiscovered conventional oil and gas re-

tzin
53000461

sA

sA
h
sin

sA
28°

Pro
Sabinas
PERCENT

rch
PERCENT

Ba

rch
rch
Pro

vin
Basin Province

sin
vin
GULF

ce
Assessment Results
24°

ce
OF USA
sources were assessed in Mexico in 2012 (U.S. Geological
MEXICO 28° 28°

MEXICO

23° 28°

Quantitative assessment results for 11 unconventional AUs of northeast Mexico are sum-
23° 23° 23° 27°
27°
Tampico–Misantla
USA USA

Survey World Energy Assessment Team, 2012).

Basin Province Tampico–Misantla
marized in table 2. For unconventional oil resources, the mean total is 776 million barrels of oil
22° Tampico–Misantla Tampico–Misantla
Tampico-Misantla Basin Province
Basin Province Basin Province USA USA
Basin Province
La Casita
(MMBO), with a range from 353 to 1,365 MMBO; for unconventional gas the mean total is 23,474
27° 27°
Agua Nueva 27° Shale Gas
MEXICO MEXICO MEXICO Shale Gas 53000361 Sabinas Burgos 26°
22° 22° 22° MEXICO 26°

billion cubic feet (BCFG), with a range from 7,431 to 44,630 BCFG; and a mean total of 883 mil-
22°
20° GULF GULF GULF GULF
53000462 Basin Basin MEXICO MEXICO
Veracruz Basin OF OF Province Province
OF OF
Province MEXICO
lion barrels of natural gas liquids (MMBNGL), with a range from 278 to 1,690 MMBNGL.

SIE
MEXICO Burgos

SIE
Methodology
MEXICO

SIE
MEXICO

SIE
UNITED STATES Basin

RR

RR
Area of
Sabinas Sabinas 26°
Province

RR

RR
Of the mean unconventional oil total of 776 MMBO, about 82 percent is in the Tampico-Misantla
figure 26° 26°
Burgos 25°
ATLANTIC

A
Basin Basin

A
MEXICO MEXICO
OCEAN

A
18° GULF OF

PACIFIC
MEXICO MEXICO 21° 21°
130°0'0"W 120°0'0"W 110°0'0"W 100°0'0"W 90°0'0"W 80°0'0"W 70°0'0"W 60°0'0"W

21° Province Province Basin 25°

21°

Basin (55 percent; 426 MMBO) is estimated to be in the Agua Nueva Shale Oil AU; (27 percent;
OCEAN
Burgos Province

M
D D Burgos

M
A
D

A
R R D Basin

A
E R Basin

A
EXPLANATION
Eagleford Gas

UNITED STATES E E R Province

E
Eagleford Oil

212 MMBO) is in the Pimienta Shale Oil AU. The Agua Nueva Shale Oil AU in the Burgos
The USGS approach to assessing continuous shale-oil
Assessed provinces Province
Smackover

Area of
Land

25°
Unassessed province study ATLANTIC
O O UNITED STATES
OCEAN
RI UNITED STATES RI O UNITED STATES
O 24°
16° PACIFIC
GULF OF
MEXICO
EN Area of EN Area of RI Area of RI MEXICO
EN
Basin contains the remaining (18 percent; 138 MMBO).
0 50 100 150 200 MILES OCEAN
study 25° 25°
EN
ATLANTIC
study study
TA TA
ATLANTIC
MEXICO OCEAN
OCEAN ATLANTIC

TA
GULF OF OCEAN

L MEXICO
L TA
GULF OF PACIFIC GULF OF
0 50 100 150 200 KILOMETERS 20° 20° PACIFIC MEXICO

and shale-gas resources in non-U.S. reservoirs is based

MEXICO PACIFIC MEXICO

L
OCEAN
PACIFIC OCEAN
OCEAN
20° 24°
L
OCEAN

EXPLANATION MEXICO 20°

For the mean unconventional gas total of 23,474 BCFG, about 66 percent (15,591 BCFG)
MEXICO
Tithonian Organic Richness EXPLANATION
1 to 2 weight-percent (2,985,373.05 acres) EXPLANATION EXPLANATION
Eagleford Gas
EXPLANATION Tithonian Thermal Maturity 24° La Casita Shale Gas AU
Tithonian Assessment Units
Eagleford Oil

Tithonian Organic Richness

is estimated to be in the Burgos Basin; 25 percent (5,822 BCFG) in the Sabinas Basin; and
> 2 weight-percent (793,400.95 acres)
Smackover
Land
Oil 23°
Pimienta Shale Oil AU
> 2 weight-percent TOC EXPLANATION

upon developing a complete geologic framework descrip-

Tithonian Total (6,098,147.59 Acres)

Figure 1. Location of geologic provinces

Gas Pimienta Shale Gas AU
Geologic province boundaries
0 650 1,300
Geologic province 2,600 Kilometers

Agua Nueva Shale Gas AU

0 325 650 1,300 Miles

0 70 MILES 0 80 MILES
boundaries Geologic province Geologic province
Veracruz Basin Veracruz
9 percent (2,061 BCFG) in the Tampico-Misantla Basin.
boundaries 24° 24°
Veracruz boundaries 0 70 KILOMETERS 0 80 KILOMETERS
19° 0 25 50 75 100 MILES Province 19° 0 25 50 75 100 MILES Basin Veracruz

considered in this study. Province 19° 0 25 50 75 100 MILES Basin 19° 0 25 50 75 100 MILES Basin EXPLANATION

tion for each province from published literature and defin-

0 25 50 75 100 KILOMETERS 0 25 50 75 100 KILOMETERS Province Province EXPLANATION EXPLANATION 23° La Casita Shale Gas AU
0 25 50 75 100 KILOMETERS 0 25 50 75 100 KILOMETERS

Figure 17. Map showing the outline of Figure 18. Map showing the outline of
Agua Nueva Shale Oil AU Agua Nueva Shale Gas AU

Assessment Team
0 70 MILES 0 70 MILES 0 80 MILES

0 70 KILOMETERS 0 70 KILOMETERS 0 80 KILOMETERS

potential shale-gas area (3,667,000 acres) potential shale-gas area (8,961,000 acres)
ing petroleum systems and unconventional assessment units
Tampico-
Age Sabinas Basin Burgos South Misantla Figure 4. Map showing the area of Figure 5. Map showing the total organic Figure 6. Map showing the extent of Figure 7. Map showing the intersection
Christopher J. Schenk, Ronald R. Charpentier, Timothy R. Klett, Marilyn E. Tennyson,
Basin Texas Basin
the Tampico-Misantla Basin with carbon (TOC) data greater than 2 weight- thermally mature Tithonian shale in the of figures 5 and 6, and represents the Figure 12. Map showing the outline Figure 13. Map showing the outline of Figure 14. Map showing the outline of po- in the Agua Nueva Formation with greater in the La Casita Formation with greater Stephanie Gaswirth, Michael E. Brownfield, Mark J. Pawlewicz, and Jean N. Weaver.
(AUs) within these systems. We developed specific geolog-
Quaternary Pleistocene Continental beds in valleys Lissie Fm. Terraces Continental
Pliocene
Goliad Fm. Goliad
Deposits
greater than 1 weight-percent total percent for Type II marine Tithonian shale onshore part of the Tampico-Misantla resultant area with both greater than 2 of potential shale-oil area (1,100,000 potential shale-gas area (3,530,000 acres) tential shale-gas area (3,941,000 acres) in than 1 weight-percent total organic car- than 1 weight-percent total organic car-
Lagarto Fm. Tuxpan
acres) in the Agua Nueva Formation in the Agua Nueva Formation with great- the La Casita Formation with greater than 1 bon (TOC) by PEMEX (2012) in the Sabinas bon (TOC) by PEMEX (2012) in the Sabinas References
ing Gp.
Miocene Fleming
organic carbon (TOC) within Tithonian in the onshore part of the Tampico- Basin. Maturity data were categorized weight-percent total organic carbon and
ic criteria and a series of maps that define areas of resource Oligocene
Flem-
Oakville Fm.
Anahuac Fm.
Norma Cgl.
Frio Escolin
Coatzintlas marine shales. About 21 percent Misantla Basin. Values of TOC greater by Tmax values from Rock-Eval analy- adequate thermal maturity for oil and gas with greater than 1 weight-percent er than 1 weight-percent total organic weight-percent total organic carbon (TOC) Basin. For the U.S. Geological Survey as- Basin. For the U.S. Geological Survey as- Charpentier, R.R., and Cook, T.A., 2011, USGS methodology for assessing continuous
Frio Fm.

potential within candidate reservoirs. To be considered for Vicksburg Palma Real

of the area with TOC greater than than 2 weight-percent define areas in this ses. Tmax values greater than 465 °C de- generation. The green area defines the total organic carbon (TOC) by PEMEX carbon (TOC) by PEMEX (2012) in the by PEMEX (2012) in the Burgos Basin. For sessment, the potential area at the mode sessment, the potential area at the mode petroleum resources: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2011–1167, 75 p.
Tertiary

Vicksburg Fm.

Burgos Basin. For the U.S. Geological is 704,000 acres (table 1), which is the is 565,000 acres (table 1), which is the
Jackson Fm. Jackson Chapapote
1 weight-percent is characterized by study that pass the threshold for quan- fined the area of source rock thermally modal area of the Tithonian Shale Oil (2012) in the Burgos Basin. For the U.S. the U.S. Geological Survey assessment, the PEMEX, 2012, Mexico’s shale oil/gas resources: PowerPoint presentation, July 10, 2012, 42 slides.
assessment, the potential shale-oil or shale-gas reservoir
Claiborne Gp.

Claiborne Gp.
Yegua Fm. Yegua Fm. Tantaoyuca
Eocene
Cook Mtn. Fm.
Mt. Selman Fm.
Cook Mtn. Fm.
Carrrizo
Guayabal
Aragon values greater than 2 weight-percent titative assessment. Note that much of mature for gas (red area); Tmax values Assessment Unit (AU), and the red area Geological Survey assessment, the Survey assessment, the potential area potential area at the mode is 828,000 acres total area (3,667,000 acres) multiplied by total area (8,961,000 acres) multiplied by Peterson, J.A., 1985, Petroleum Geology and Resources of Northeastern Mexico: U.S. Geologi-
Wilcox
at the mode is 2,259,000 acres (table 1), the Tampico-Misantla Basin analog area the Tampico-Misantla Basin analog area
must possess the following criteria: (1) contain greater than TOC (data from PEMEX, 2012). the Tithonian shale in this basin contains between 435 and 465 °C defined the defines the modal area of the Tithonian potential area at the mode is 704,000 (table 1), which is the total area (3,941,000 cal Survey Circular 943, 30 p.
Wilcox Fm. Lobo
Paleocene
Midway Fm. Midway Chicontepec
Escondido Fm. Escondido Escondido
less than 2 weight-percent TOC. Of the oil maturity window (green area), and Shale Gas AU. Both AUs were quantita- acres (table 1), which is the total area which is the total area (3,530,000 acres) acres) multiplied by the Tampico-Misantla in the Aqua Nueva Formation with greater in the Pimienta Formation withgreater
Mendez U.S. Geological Survey World Energy Assessment Team, 2012, Assessment of undiscovered
2 weight-percent total organic carbon (TOC); (2) be within
Maastrichtian
Olmos Fm. Sh. Olmos Olmos Mendez
area greater than 1 weight-percent, 21 values less than 435 °C were defined as tively assessed in this study. (1,100,000 acres) multiplied by the Tam- multiplied by the Tampico-Misantla Basin Basin analog area in the Pimienta Forma- than 2 weight-percent TOC (64 percent), than 2 weight-percent TOC (21 percent), conventional oil and gas resources of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, 2012: U.S. Geological
Series
Late Cretaceous

Sh.
San Miguel Fm. Mendez San Miguel
percent is greater than 2 weight-percent thermally immature for Type II kerogen. pico-Misantla Basin analog area in the analog area in the Aqua Nueva Forma- tion with greater than 2 weight-percent and then multiplied by 30 percent for the and then multiplied by 30 percent for the Survey Fact Sheet 2012–3069, 4 p.
the proper thermal maturity window for oil or gas gener-
Campanian
Upson Fm. Sh. Anacacho Ls.
Santonian San
Felipe
Austin San
Felipe TOC. This value of 21 percent was used The boundaries on this map as derived Aqua Nueva Formation with greater tion with greater than 2 weight-percent TOC (21 percent). effects of structural complexity on the effects of structural complexity on the Warwick, P.D., 2007, Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Cretaceous-Tertiary
San Felipe Fm. Fm.
ation; (3) have greater than 15 meters (m) of organic-rich
In
Gulfian

Coniacian Fm. Fm.

to characterize Tithonian shales in the from Tmax values are uncertain (data than 2 weight-percent TOC (64 percent). TOC (64 percent). retention of gas. retention of gas.
did

coal beds of the Gulf Coast Region, 2007: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2007–3039, 2 p.
ur

Agua
a

from PEMEX, 2012). Rio Escondido Olmos

Turonian Agua Eagle Ford
Burgos and Sabinas Basins as the map
Fm

shale; (4) be greater than 1,000 m depth; (5) contain Type

Agua Nueva Fm. Nueva Fm. Fm. Nueva
.

Buda Ls.
available for those basins only illustrated
Wilcox-Lobo Tight Gas AU Coalbed Gas AU
Cenomanian
Del Rio Sh.
Tamaulipas

Cuesta Del Cura Ls.

Tamabra

I or II organic matter, and (6) have evidence of moveable

Comanchean

El Abra

M
rock with greater than 1 weight-percent
Georgetown
Upper

on Upper Upper

Assessment Input Data Assessment Results

clo Fm.
City Ls.

va
Stuart

Albian Kiamichi 102° 101° 100° 99° 98° 102° 101° 100° 99° 98°
Acatta Fac Aurora Tamaulipas Fm. Tamaulipas Fm. Fm.
ies
TOC (data from PEMEX, 2012).
Early Cretaceous

Ls.
gas or oil in matrix storage (Charpentier and Cook, 2011).
Evap.
Glen Rose Ls. 29° 29°

La Pena Fm.
Aptian
La Pena Fm. Otates Fm. Pearsall Otates Fm.
Rio Escondido Table 1.  Key assessment input data for unconventional assessment units in northeast Mexico. Table 2.  Northeast Mexico unconventional oil and gas resource assessment results.
Assessment Unit

When applied to any given shale-oil or shale-gas reservoir,

La La Lower
[EUR (estimated ultimate recovery per well), well drainage area, and success ratios are from U.S. shale-gas, shale-oil, tight-gas, and coalbed gas [MMBO, million barrels of oil; BCFG, billion cubic feet of gas; MMBNGL, million barrels of natural gas liquids; TPS, total petro-
Turonian Agua Nueva Formation
Barremian Patula Virgen Mula Cupido Lower Lower
Evap. Sh.
Ls. Tamaulipas
Arkose Sligo
Padilla e analogs. MMB, million barrels of oil; BCFG, billion cubic feet of gas; AU, assessment unit. The average EUR input is the minimum, median, maximum, leum system; AU, assessment unit. Results shown are fully risked estimates. For gas fields, all liquids are included under the
Hosston

Hauterivian Tamaulipas Tamaulipas 28° 28°

these specific criteria might reduce the potential area com-

? Tongu
Neocomian

Fm.
The USGS approach to defining AUs in the Turonian Agua Nueva Formation of the Tampico-Misantla Basin began with the map showing the distribution of TOC (fig. 8).
Wilcox-Lobo Tight Gas
and calculated mean]
Coahuilan

Valanginian San Marcos Barril Viejo

Fm. Fm. Assessment Unit NGL (natural gas liquids) category. F95 represents a 95 percent chance of at least the amount tabulated. Other fractiles are
Fm. Taraises
Arkose
The intersection of the map of TOC greater than 2 weight-percent (fig. 9) with the thermal maturity map (fig. 10) produced the AU map (fig. 11) for the modal shale-oil area defined similarly. Shading indicates not applicable]
pared to maps made with greater than 1 weight-percent Burgos Basin Burgos Basin
Sabinas Sabinas
Berraisian Fm.
Menchaca Ls. Basin Basin

(green) and shale-gas area (red) used in the assessment. Rio Escondido Olmos Coalbed Gas AU 53000281 La Casita Shale Gas AU 53000361
Province
Assessment input data
Cotton Province
La Casista

27° 27°
Jurassic

Tithonian
Pimienta

La Casita Fm. La Casita Valley Bossier

Total Petroleum System AU Total Undiscovered Resources
TOC, for example.
Late

Fm.
Kimmeridgian Olvido Fm. Haynesville
Minimum Mode Maximum Calculated mean Minimum Mode Maximum Calculated mean Field
Oxfordian La Gloria Zuloaga Ls. Smackover Ls. Smackover Smackover 100° 99° 98° 97° 96° 100° 99° 98° 97° 96° 100° 99° 98° 97° 96° 100° 99° 98° 97° 96° USA USA
Potential production area of AU (acres) 10,000 250,000 750,000 336,667 100,000 828,000 2,500,000 1,142,667
(TPS) Proba- Oil (MMBO) Gas (BCFG) NGL (MMBNGL)
Type
TURONIAN TURONIAN TURONIAN TURONIAN and Assessment Unit (AU) bility F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean
Burgos Burgos
Average drainage area of wells (acres) 40 80 160 93 80 120 160 120
TOC TOC THERMAL FINAL
26° 26°
Tau

Burgos Burgos Burgos Basin

Figure 2. Stratigraphic column of northeast Mexico
Basin
Ma

BURGOS BASIN
ma

Basin Basin MEXICO MEXICO

Percent of AU untested 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Basin Province Province
gis

Tau
Tau

Tau
Ma
Ma
ul

Ma
Burgos Basin Province Province Province
cat

An important part of the geologic phase of this study > 1 WEIGHT- > 2 WEIGHT- MATURITY
ipa

ma
ma
AU MAP

m
gis
gis

gis
24° Province
and southeast Texas. The Pimienta Formation of the
zin

aul
24° 24° 24°
sA

ul
ul
Success ratios (%) 50 70 90 70 40 60 80 60 Olmos Coalbed Gas TPS

cat
cat

cat
ipa
ipa

ipa
Ba

rch

zin
zin

zin
si

sA
s

sA
Arc
Pro
nP

PERCENT PERCENT

Ba

Ba

Ba
Average EUR (MMBO, oil; BCFG, gas) 0.03 0.2 1 0.24 0.3 0.6 0.9 0.61

rch
Tampico-Misantla Basin is equivalent to the La Casita

rch
Rio Escondido Coalbed
rov

vin

h
sin

sin
was a formal USGS-PEMEX (Petroleos Mexicanos)

sin
1.0 Gas 125 479 1,544 612 0 0 0 0
25° 25°
i

ce
nce

Burgos Basin Burgos Basin Gas AU 53000281

Formation of the Burgos Basin. The Eagle Ford Forma- 23°

Agua Nueva Shale Oil AU 53000461 Agua Nueva Shale Gas AU 53000462
23° 23°

Workshop on Unconventional Resources convened in

23°

Upper Jurassic La Casita TPS

tion of south Texas is partly equivalent to the Agua Nue-
Tampico–Misantla
Basin Province Tampico–Misantla Tampico–Misantla
Basin Province Tampico–Misantla Basin Province
Minimum Mode Maximum Calculated mean Minimum Mode Maximum Calculated mean La Casita Shale Gas AU
va Formation of northeast Mexico (Peterson, 1985). [Gp.,
Basin Province
1.0 Gas 1,148 3,253 6,730 3,516 69 195 407 211
24° 24°

Mexico City, Mexico, in June, 2012. The geology and cur- Group; Fm., Formation; Cgl., conglomerate; Ls., limestone; 22° MEXICO
22° MEXICO 22° MEXICO 22° MEXICO
EXPLANATION EXPLANATION
Potential production area of AU (acres)
Average drainage area of wells (acres)
100,000
160
704,000
280
1,100,000
400
634,667
280
100,000
80
2,259,000
120
3,530,000
160
1,963,000
120
53000361
Turonian Agua Nueva TPS
Wilcox-Lobo Tight Rio Escondido Olmos
GULF
GULF GULF GULF Gas AU

rent exploration results from within the various shale-oil

Coalbed Gas AU
0 70 MILES
OF 0 70 MILES

Sh., shale; Evap., evaporite] MEXICO

OF OF OF
Percent of AU untested 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
SIE

0 70 KILOMETERS

Agua Nueva Shale Oil AU

0 70 KILOMETERS
MEXICO MEXICO
SIE
MEXICO

SIE

SIE
Success ratios (%) 50 70 90 70 50 70 90 70 1.0 Oil 52 129 251 138 96 252 533 275 2 5 11 6
RR

RR

RR
53000461

RR
and shale-gas assessment units (AU) of northeast Mexico
A

A
Average EUR (MMBO, oil; BCFG, gas) 0.04 0.08 0.2 0.086 0.4 0.8 1.2 0.813
130°0'0"W 120°0'0"W 110°0'0"W 100°0'0"W 90°0'0"W 80°0'0"W 70°0'0"W 60°0'0"W

Figure 15. Map showing the extent Figure 16. Map showing the extent of
21°
21°

Agua Nueva Shale Gas AU

21°
130°0'0"W 120°0'0"W 110°0'0"W 100°0'0"W 90°0'0"W 80°0'0"W 70°0'0"W 60°0'0"W

21°
M

D
M

M
1.0 3,211 9,320 15,982 9,403 127 368 654 376

M
A

UNITED STATES R D D D
Burgos Basin Sabinas Basin Gas
of the Wilcox-Lobo Tight Gas Assess- Olmos Formation coals in the Burgos
A

A
E

A
R R R
53000462
were discussed in detail. PEMEX later supplied several
Area of
study ATLANTIC
E E E
O
Wilcox-Lobo Tight Gas AU 53000561 La Casita Shale Gas AU 53230161
OCEAN

PACIFIC MEXICO
GULF OF UNITED STATES UNITED STATES
RI O O
ment Unit (AU) in the Burgos Basin. This Basin, as mapped by Warwick (2007).
O
MEXICO

RI
OCEAN

EN Area of
RI RI
Paleogene TPS
UNITED STATES Area of
study
EN EN study
ATLANTIC

EN
ATLANTIC

TA
Minimum Mode Maximum Calculated mean Minimum Mode Maximum Calculated mean
Area of OCEAN OCEAN
PACIFIC MEXICO
GULF OF
MEXICO

maps with geologic data that were critical to the USGS as-
TA
GULF OF
20° L study ATLANTIC MEXICO
TA PACIFIC MEXICO
TA
Ro < 1.3% Ro > 1.3% mapped area is an extension of a much The coals define the extent of the Rio
OCEAN OCEAN OCEAN
EXPLANATION 20° MEXICO L L L
Wilcox-Lobo Tight Gas AU
GULF OF
PACIFIC MEXICO
20° 20°
Turonian Organic Richness

Potential production area of AU (acres) 10,000 550,000 700,000 420,000 94,000 565,000 1,882,000 847,000
OCEAN

1-2 weight-percent (1,286,682.05 acres)

EXPLANATION EXPLANATION 1.0 Gas 535 1,675 3,431 1,785 5 16 36 18
> 2 weight-percent (2,259,694.26 acres)
EXPLANATION Turonian Thermal Maturity Turonian Assessment Units
larger Wilcox-Lobo AU in the United Escondido Olmos Coalbed Gas Assess- 53000561
Average drainage area of wells (acres) 40 110 180 110 80 120 160 120
sessment (PEMEX, 2012). The maps shown herein were
Turonian Total (4,217,581.22 Acres) Turonian Organic Richness Oil Agua Nueva Shale Oil AU
Province boundaries > 2 weight-percent TOC Gas

SABINAS BASIN
Agua Nueva Shale Gas AU

19° 0 25 50 75 100 MILES

Veracruz Basin
Province
0 25
Geologic province
boundaries

50 75 100 MILES
Veracruz
Basin
Geologic province
boundaries
Veracruz
Basin
Geologic province
boundaries
Veracruz States. Sandstones of the Wilcox-Lobo ment Unit (AU). Percent of AU untested 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Basin
Upper Jurassic La Casita TPS
combined to outline areas within the Sabinas, Burgos, and
0 25 50 75 100 MILES

stratigraphic interval are part of a large

19° 19° 19° 0 25 50 75 100 MILES

Total Organic Carbon

0 25 50 75 100 KILOMETERS
0 25 50 75 100 KILOMETERS
Province
0 25 50 75 100 KILOMETERS
Province
0 25 50 75 100 KILOMETERS
Province Success ratios (%) 50 70 90 70 10 50 90 50
1–2 weight-percent disrupted zone with slide blocks and re- Average EUR (MMBO, oil; BCFG, gas) 0.25 0.6 1.5 0.645 0.3 0.6 0.9 0.610 La Casita Shale Gas AU
1.0 Gas 577 1,899 4,687 2,172 17 56 144 65
Tampico-Misantla Basins that were then considered for (Not Assessed)
Figure 8. Map showing only the area of Figure 9. Map showing the total organic Figure 10. Map showing the extent of Figure 11. Map showing the intersection of lated deformational features within which Sabinas Basin
Agua Nueva Shale Gas AU 53230261
Tampico-Misantla Basin
Pimienta Shale Oil AU 53010261
53230161
the Tampico-Misantla Basin with carbon (TOC) data greater than 2 weight- thermally mature Turonian shale in the figures 9 and 10, and presents the resultant are the Wilcox-Lobo low-permeability Turonian Agua Nueva TPS
quantitative assessment using the six USGS criteria. Gas
Total Organic Carbon
> 2 weight-percent greater than 1 weight-percent total percent for Type II marine Turonian shale onshore part of the Tampico-Misantla area with greater than 2 weight-percent (tight) gas sandstone reservoirs.
Minimum Mode Maximum Calculated mean Minimum Mode Maximum Calculated mean Agua Nueva Shale Gas AU
1.0 Gas 941 3,189 7,922 3,650 37 127 321 146
(Assessed) Potential production area of AU (acres) 100,000 704,000 2,400,000 1,068,000 100,000 695,000 2,100,000 965,000 53230261
> 1.3 %
Ro organic carbon (TOC) within Turonian in the onshore part of the Tampico- Basin. Maturity data were categorized total organic carbon and adequate thermal Average drainage area of wells (acres) 80 120 160 120 140 240 300 227 TAMPICO-MISANTLA BASIN
Oil
marine shales. About 64 percent of Misantla Basin. Values of TOC greater by Tmax values from Rock-Eval analy- maturity for oil and gas generation. The Percent of AU untested 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
the area with TOC greater than 1 than 2 weight-percent define areas in this ses. Tmax values greater than 465 °C Upper Jurassic Pimienta TPS
Publishing support provided by: Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only
0.6 – 1.3 %
Ro green area defines the modal area of the Success ratios (%) 10 50 90 50 40 60 80 60
weight-percent is characterized by val- study that exceed the threshold for quan- defined the area of source rock ther- Pimienta Shale Oil AU
Denver Publishing Service Center and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Turonian Agua Nueva Shale Oil Assessment Average EUR (MMBO, oil; BCFG, gas) 0.4 0.8 1.2 0.813 0.03 0.08 0.14 0.082 1.0 Oil 69 194 412 212 82 232 498 254 2 7 15 8
53010261
This and other USGS information products available at Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public
ues greater than 2 weight-percent TOC titative assessment. Of the area greater mally mature for gas (red areas); Tmax Unit (AU), and the red areas define the mod- Tampico-Misantla Basin Tampico-Misantla Basin
http://store.usgs.gov/ domain, it also contains copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Pimienta Shale Gas AU
U.S. Geological Survey Permission to reproduce copyrighted items for other than personal use EXPLANATION
(data from PEMEX, 2012). than 1 weight-percent TOC, 64 percent is values between 435 and 465 °C defined al area of the Turonian Agua Nueva Shale Pimienta Shale Gas AU 53010262 Agua Nueva Shale Oil AU 53010361 1.0 Gas 58 136 272 147 2 4 8 4
Box 25286, Denver Federal Center must be secured from the copyright owner. Total Organic Carbon 1 to 2 weight-percent 53010262
greater than 2 weight-percent TOC. This the oil maturity window (green area), Minimum Mode Maximum Calculated mean Minimum Mode Maximum Calculated mean
Denver, CO 80225 Total Organic Carbon > 2 weight-percent
Ro > 0.6 < 1.3% Gas AU. Both AUs were quantitatively as- Turonian Agua Nueva TPS
Suggested citation: Potential production area of AU (acres) 10,000 33,000 100,000 47,667 1,052,000 2,104,000 2,735,000 1,963,667
To learn about the USGS and its information products visit
http://www.usgs.gov/ U.S. Geological Survey Mexico Assessment Team, 2014, Assessment of unconventional
Ro > 1.3%
value of 64 percent was used to charac- and values less than 435 °C were ther- sessed in this study. Agua Nueva Shale Oil AU
resources of northeastern Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015–1112, Average drainage area of wells (acres) 80 120 160 120 160 280 400 280 1.0 Oil 232 402 702 426 406 789 1,502 852 7 16 32 17
1-888-ASK-USGS
1 sheet, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151112. terize the Turonian shales in the Burgos mally immature for Type II kerogen. The Percent of AU untested 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 53010361
This report is available at
http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151112 ISSN 2331-1258 (online)
and Sabinas Basins as the map available boundaries on this map as derived from Success ratios (%) 40 60 80 60 50 70 90 70 Agua Nueva Shale Gas AU
http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151112
Figure 3. Schematic diagram showing 1.0 Gas 252 754 1,529 808 10 30 62 32
For more information concerning this publication, contact: for those basins only illustrated rock with Tmax data are uncertain (data from Average EUR (MMBO, oil; BCFG, gas) 0.3 0.6 0.9 0.610 0.04 0.08 0.2 0.086 53010362
Center Director, USGS Central Energy Resources Science Center
Box 25046, Mail Stop 939 geologic parameters for potential assessed greater than 1 weight-percent TOC (data PEMEX, 2012). Exposure of the Eagle Ford Formation Tampico-Misantla Basin VERACRUZ BASIN
Denver, CO 80225
(303) 236-1647 areas. Ro, vitrinite reflectance, in percent. from PEMEX, 2012). (partly equivalent to the Agua Nueva Agua Nueva Shale Gas AU 53010362 Turonian Maltrata TPS
Or visit the Central Energy Resources Science Center Web site at:
Fm.) on the south bank of Lantry Creek in Minimum Mode Maximum Calculated mean Maltrata Shale Oil AU
http://energy.usgs.gov/
Potential production area of AU (acres) 10,000 128,000 368,000 168,667 Oil Not quantitatively assessed
Pump Canyon, Val Verde County, Texas. 53020261
Average drainage area of wells (acres) 80 120 160 120 Maltrata Shale Gas AU
Photograph taken by Michael Lewan, Percent of AU untested 100 100 100 100 Gas Not quantitatively assessed
53020262
U.S. Geological Survey, August 19, 2010. Success ratios (%) 50 70 90 70 Total unconventional
U.S. Department of the Interior Average EUR (MMBO, oil; BCFG, gas) 0.4 0.8 1.2 0.813 resources 353 725 1,365 776 7,431 21,978 44,630 23,474 278 824 1,690 883
U.S. Geological Survey