--> Abstract: Fold And Thrust Belt Hydrocarbon Plays Along The Eastern Margin Of The Middle Magdalena Valley, Colombia, by P. A. Restrepo-Pace, K. H. James, and T. Villamil; #90923 (1999)

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RESTREPO-PACE, PEDRO. A., K. H. JAMES and T. VILLAMIL, Conoco Inc., Houston,TX

Abstract: Fold And Thrust Belt Hydrocarbon Plays Along The Eastern Margin Of The Middle Magdalena Valley, Colombia

The Middle Magdalena Valley (MMV) of Colombia is an asymmetric, intermontane depression bordered by the Central and Eastern Cordilleras. The basin contains a Tertiary sedimentary wedge that thickens to the east below the foldbelt of the Eastern Cordillera's west flank. More than 3.5 BBOE reserves have been discovered in the MMV since first discoveries in the early 1900's. These were sourced by the upper Cretaceous La Luna Formation and reservoired in Eocene to Oligocene fluvial sandstones.

A polydeformed west- verging fold and thrustbelt characterize the eastern margin of the basin. North and/or south plunging anticlinoria related to structural inversion in the hinterland portion of the foldbelt develop into thin-skinned structures in the middle portion of the foldbelt. The outer portions of the foldbelt exhibit a series on NS basement involved fault-related anticlines. Compressive structures were developed in Late Paleocene-Early Eocene time, Oligocene - Middle Miocene and during the major Mio Pliocene Andean orogenic phase.

Several plays have been explored in this complex foldbelt. Inversion-related anticlines such as La Cira - Infantas (870 MMBOE) and Provincia (380 MMBOE) have yielded most of the production to date. Potential footwall structures adjacent to these remain untested. The disharmonic, faulted anticline at Opon contains 700 BCF gas. Other plays are emerging as exploration moves towards the hinterland. The Emerald Mountain discovery (132 MMBO of proven reserves) involves fractured Upper Cretaceous limestones as reservoir, which apparently seal against a thrust fault. Recent seismic campaigns indicate the presence of four-way closed subthrust plays.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90923@1999 International Conference and Exhibition, Birmingham, England