Petroleum geology and exploration potential of Ucayali Basin, Peru

The Ucayali Basin is one of the sub-Andean foreland basins with several types of pays. There are two sets of main source rocks including the Pucara Formation (T-J) and the Ene Formation (P). Multiple sets of reservoirs generated, such as the Chonta, Vivian, Cushabatay, Agua Caliente and Raya Formations of Cretaceous and the Ene Formation of Permian. And the seal factors for the reservoirs are excellent. There are two types of thrust deformations in the Ucayali Basin. Basement-involved structures mainly occur in the north, while thin-skinned thrusting structures exist in the south. Traps of the discovered fields in the basin are mainly anticlines related to thrust faults. In the Northern Ucayali sub-Basin, hydrocarbons from the Pucara Formation move through unconformities and faults towards Cretaceous formations, and re-accumulate after the Quechua tectonic movement. However, in the Southern Ucayali sub-Basin, natural gas generate from the over mature shales of the Ene Formation, and migrate into the Permian and Cretaceous reservoirs. Four types of exploration leads exist in the basin:traps in thrustfold-foredeep belt, Carbonate reservoir in the Pucara Formation, gas prospects of Permian in the northern basin, and Cretaceous stratigraphic traps in the east of the basin.