--> ABSTRACT: The Oligocene Frio Depisode in the Subsurface of Burgos Basin, Northeastern Mexico, by José Javier Hernández-Mendoza and William Galloway; #90906(2001)

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José Javier Hernández-Mendoza1, William Galloway2

(1) Pemex Exploración y Producción, Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico
(2) University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX

ABSTRACT: The Oligocene Frio Depisode in the Subsurface of Burgos Basin, Northeastern Mexico

The Frío Depositional Episode (FDE) in the Burgos Basin is a major progradational wedge of Oligocene age. This progradational wedge is the continuation of the Frío sedimentary system of South Texas into NE Mexico. The FDE represents one of the most prolific Tertiary sections in the Burgos Basin, (approximately one third of total gas production). This study places the FDE within a regional palegeographic context. Nine dip-oriented and three strike-oriented cross sections were used to subdivide the FDE and to construct a suite of isopach, net sandstone, sandstone percentage and log facies maps for the Upper, Middle and Lower FDE.

The large volume of clastic sediments supplied to the basin constructed a deltaic system onto a thick succession of under-compacted prodelta and slope muds, thus causing the development of syndepositional faults. The delta-front sediments were reworked and transported by waves and coastal currents in the strike direction along the ancient coast to construct strike-elongated strandplains, nearshore bars and inlet sand bodies. The Reynosa delta, and important part of the FDE in the Burgos Basin petroleum system was a wave-dominated to wave-modified delta system. Facies geometries and successions support a deltaic model for the FDE, an interpretation that challenges the earlier barrier bar model proposed during the 1980's.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90906©2001 AAPG Annual Convention, Denver, Colorado