Abstract: Paleoenvironment Profile and Age of the Paguey Formation; Barinas and Portuguesa States, Western Venezuela

R. Arnstein, S. Osuna, O. Macsotay

The review of the Paguey Formation's surface and subsurface samples allowed us to make a detailed analysis of its age and paleoenvironments. Recent research divided the unit in three members called Arandia, La California and Higuerones. In the basal Arandia member, an abundant planktonic and benthic fauna suggest the maximum deepening of the Paguey Formation. The regional review of the basal horizon showed inner to medium neritic environment in the oil field area of Barinas, and bathyal to the north. In the Guarumen area, the whole autochthonous and allochthonous units of the Paguey Formation are bathyal, too.

The La California member is a coarsening-upward sequence, where most of the section belongs to outer neritic environment based on foraminifera and ichnofossils. Toward the top, the environment becomes inner neritic, and emerging before the starting of the upper member. The Higuerones member exhibits a fining-upward sequence and an inner neritic environment.

The regressive trend of the upper horizons of Paguey Formation is observed in all the studied sections. The microfauna indicates a Middle Eocene age for the Paguey Formation, but the molluscs of the Higuerones member suggest an early Late Eocene age.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90951©1996 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Caracas, Venezuela