none 10.1190/tle40120897.1 Society of Exploration Geophysicists Society of Exploration Geophysicists 186 132598691 5980 2025120911180482200 10.1190 2025-12-09T16:18:10Z 2021-12-01T11:03:29Z 1 The Leading Edge 1070-485X 12 2021 12 01 2021 40 12 Manuel González-Quijano 1 Repsol USA, The Woodlands, Texas, USA. E-mail: mgonzalezquijanoa@repsol.com; gregor.baechle@repsol.com; miguelangel.yanez@repsol.com; freddy.obregon@repsol.com; carmen.vito@repsol.com; ph.vieira@repsol.com. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4701-8449 Gregor Baechle 1 Repsol USA, The Woodlands, Texas, USA. E-mail: mgonzalezquijanoa@repsol.com; gregor.baechle@repsol.com; miguelangel.yanez@repsol.com; freddy.obregon@repsol.com; carmen.vito@repsol.com; ph.vieira@repsol.com. Miguel Yanez 1 Repsol USA, The Woodlands, Texas, USA. E-mail: mgonzalezquijanoa@repsol.com; gregor.baechle@repsol.com; miguelangel.yanez@repsol.com; freddy.obregon@repsol.com; carmen.vito@repsol.com; ph.vieira@repsol.com. Freddy Obregon 1 Repsol USA, The Woodlands, Texas, USA. E-mail: mgonzalezquijanoa@repsol.com; gregor.baechle@repsol.com; miguelangel.yanez@repsol.com; freddy.obregon@repsol.com; carmen.vito@repsol.com; ph.vieira@repsol.com. Carmen Vito 1 Repsol USA, The Woodlands, Texas, USA. E-mail: mgonzalezquijanoa@repsol.com; gregor.baechle@repsol.com; miguelangel.yanez@repsol.com; freddy.obregon@repsol.com; carmen.vito@repsol.com; ph.vieira@repsol.com. Pedro Vieira 1 Repsol USA, The Woodlands, Texas, USA. E-mail: mgonzalezquijanoa@repsol.com; gregor.baechle@repsol.com; miguelangel.yanez@repsol.com; freddy.obregon@repsol.com; carmen.vito@repsol.com; ph.vieira@repsol.com. Abstract The study area is located in middepth to deep waters of the Salina del Istmo Basin where Repsol operates Block 29. The objective of this work is to integrate qualitative and quantitative interpretations of rock and seismic data to predict lithology and fluid of the Early Miocene prospects. The seismic expression of those prospects differs from age-equivalent well-studied analog fields in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Basin due to the mineralogically complex composition of abundant extrusive volcanic material. Offset well data (i.e., core, logs, and cuttings) were used to discriminate lithology types and to quantify mineralogy. This analysis served as input for developing a new rock-physics framework and performing amplitude variation with offset (AVO) modeling. The results indicate that the combination of intercept and gradient makes it possible to discriminate hydrocarbon-filled (AVO class II and III) versus nonhydrocarbon-filled rocks (AVO class 0 and IV). Different lithologies within hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs cannot be discriminated as the gradient remains negative for all rock types. However, AVO analysis allows discrimination of three different reservoir rock types in water-bearing cases (AVO class 0, I, and IV). These conclusions were obtained during studies conducted in 2018–2019 and were used in prospect evaluation to select drilling locations leading to two wildcat discoveries, the Polok and Chinwol prospects, drilled in Block 29 in 2020. 12 2021 12 01 2021 897 904 1 10.1190/crossmark-policy library.seg.org true 2021-12-01 10.1190/tle40120897.1 https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/tle/article/40/12/897/609990/A-successful-qualitative-and-quantitative https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/seg/tle/article-pdf/40/12/897/5480399/tle40120897.1.pdf https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/seg/tle/article-pdf/40/12/897/5480399/tle40120897.1.pdf https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/tle/article/40/12/897/609990/a-successful-qualitative-and-quantitative Using rock physics for de-risking amplitude supported Miocene exploration prospects, offshore southern Gulf of Mexico 2019 Geological Society, London, Special Publications 504 1 2020 The basins, orogens and evolution of the southern Gulf of Mexico and Northern Caribbean Geophysics 61 5 1363 1996 10.1190/1.1444059 Elasticity of high-porosity sandstones: Theory for two North Sea data sets Rock physics-based interpretation framework: Key to derisking amplitude-supported exploration plays and prospects, offshore Mexico 3788 2018 Seismic amplitude attributes for GOM Miocene sediments 1710 2004 User's guide for SAAM and SAAM Toolbox Lognormal Solutions Inc. 2012 Geological Society, London, Special Publications 327 55 2009 10.1144/SP327.4 Middle Miocene Chiapas fold and thrust belt of Mexico: A result of collision of the Tehuantepec Transform/Ridge with the Middle America Trench The rock physics handbook: Tools for seismic analysis in porous media 2003 The impact of pre-stack data phase on the AVO interpretation workflow 254 2005 Stratigraphic characterization and evolution of a Mid-Tertiary age deep water system, Holok area, SW Gulf of Mexico 2013 Geophysics 66 6 1864 2001 10.1190/1.1487130 Examination of AVO responses in the eastern deepwater Gulf of Mexico