O impacto do propagador abimael na tectônica do Sal no Sul da Bacia de Santos – estudo de caso da oportunidade exploratória Esmeralda

Abstract

The Merluza Graben and Abimael Ridge are primary basement structures, that profoundly influence not only on the thickness, geometry, and configuration of salt layers but also on the distribution and geomorphology of post-salt sequences in the southern Santos Basin. The basement highs, associated with the formation of the Abimael Ridge, act as a physical barrier to salt flow. Typically, plastic, mobile evaporite sequences tend to occupy areas with reduced overburden pressure. Given the prevalence of evaporite layers as sealing element in most pre-salt targets, these basement structures wield significant sway over the evaluation of hydrocarbon prospects in the region, either facilitating or impeding exploration endeavors. This study focuses on the Esmeralda exploration block, tendered by the Brazilian National Petroleum Agency (ANP) in 2022. We delve deep into the implications of alternative geological interpretations on the economic assessment of pre-salt exploration plays in the southern Santos Basin. This work led to a scientific article published in Vol. 148 of the Journal of South American Earth Sciences on November 15, 2024: