Successful development of deeper and more ancient reservoirs in the Gulf of Mexico deep water calls for an integrated approach. Deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico may have been producing since 1979, but the potential in the area is still significant Today 99% of proved reserves in the Gulf of Mexico are in Neogene-age (1.8 million to 24 million years ago) and younger reservoirs. Recent discoveries include a new type of reservoir from the Paleogene age (24 million to 65 million years ago) with significantly deeper wells. The Paleogene-era reservoirs are a promising exploration target. However, there is no guarantee that the design approaches and technologies behind current successful production will be appropriate in the new reservoirs, whose production challenges have yet to be fully understood. Similarly, it cannot be assumed that current technologies will be fully extendable into the 3,281-ft- (1,000-m-) deep Miocene and the ultradeep water and deep-drilled lower Tertiary wells.
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