Paper submitted to IMAGE 2026, by Kyle Reuber, Pedro Zalan, Derek Unger, Henri Houllevigue (TGS).
Abstract
The deepwater Pará-Maranhão Basin remains one of the least explored regions along Brazil’s Equatorial Margin, yet early interpretations of high-resolution 2D seismic data suggested substantial hydrocarbon potential. Shallow-water discoveries, including the PAS-9/11 oil field and the sub-commercial MAS-5 well. These exploration wells confirmed two functioning petroleum systems and the presence of Cenomanian–Turonian source intervals consistent with those found in adjacent equatorial basins. Recent deepwater discoveries in the Ceará and Potiguar Basins, demonstrate the effectiveness of these petroleum systems and highlight the potential for analogous stratigraphic and structural plays in Pará-Maranhão. This study focuses on crustal architecture, volcanic features, and drift-phase sedimentation to better characterize the basin’s frontier potential.
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