DIAZ DE GAMERO, MARIA L., Escuela de Geologia, Minas y Geofisica, Universidad Central de Venezuela, and GENARO GIFFUNI and MARIANTO CASTRO MORA, Lagoven S.A., Caracas, Venezuela

ABSTRACT: Biostratigraphic Sequence Analysis of Two Lower Miocene to Pliocene Sections, Eastern Falcon, Northwestern Venezuela

The eastern region of the Falcon Basin in northwestern Venezuela comprises a thick sedimentary sequence deposited from a deep marine bathyal to neritic environment, ranging in age from the Middle Eocene to the Pliocene.

A detailed biostratigraphic study (foraminifera and calcareous nannoplankton) was carried out in two sedimentary sequences outcropping in Cumarebo and Piritu, adjacent areas of eastern Falcon, representing: platform, slope and basinal settings. The Cumarebo section is continuous in the studied interval, from the

Middle Miocene to the Pliocene. The Piritu section is continuous from the Lower to the lower Upper Miocene, terminating unconformably beneath a thin interval of middle Pliocene platform sediments, indicating tectonism during the latest Miocene.

The sequence stratigraphical interpretation was based on the biostratigraphic analysis of the benthic and planktonic fossils, facies distribution and sedimentological data. Systems tracts, sequence boundaries and maximum flooding surfaces from cycles TB2.4 to TB3.5 of the cycle chart were identified. In the Cumarebo section, the upper Middle and Upper Miocene is mostly composed of shales, with some turbiditic sands belonging to a LSW system tract. The upper most Miocene contains a thick carbonate buildup (HST), and it is overlain by a Pliocene section that shallows upward from upper slope to outer shelf depositional environments. In the basinal (Piritu) section, most of the sediments are deep-water shales belonging to a LSW system tract, with some turbiditic sands in the upper Lower M ocene. TST and HST sediments, with scattered carbonate buildups in the upper Middle Miocene were also identified.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90988©1993 AAPG/SVG International Congress and Exhibition, Caracas, Venezuela, March 14-17, 1993.