Gonzalez-Pineda, J. Francisco¹, Juan M. Alvarado-Vega¹
(1) Activo Integral Poza Rica - Altamira, Pemex E&P, Tampico, Tamps, Mexico

ABSTRACT: Geological Framework of the Mesozoic Plays of the Tampico-Misantla Basin

The Tampico-Misantla Basin in northeastern Mexico holds a special place in the petroleum history of the country because of the world-class producing plays that it contains. The first oil production in this basin was established in 1904 with the discovery of the Upper Cretaceous fractured limestones play. Fractures originated during Laramide compression and inversion of Jurassic extensional structures. The carbonate reservoirs along the karstified margin of the Cretaceous Tuxpan Platform (Golden Lane), one of the most famous petroleum plays in the world, was discovered in 1908. Oil production from the slope deposits surrounding the Tuxpan Platform (Tamabra trend) was established in 1930. The first field in the Upper Jurassic oolitic limestones of the San Andres Formation was discovered in 1956. These sediments were deposited on and around basement highs created during the Jurassic rift stage. In this same play, the offshore Arenque field was discovered in 1968. These four plays are the most prolific of the basin, having accumulated around 5 BBOE.
One of the most recent offshore oil discoveries is Lobina, located south of Arenque. The discovery well tested 7200 BOD from the Upper Jurassic San Andres Formation and 2000 BOD from the Lower Cretaceous Tamaulipas Inferior Formation. This discovery marks the beginning of a new era in the exploration of Mesozoic plays in the Tampico-Misantla basin and clears the path for a series of exploration opportunities that could incorporate production in a very short term through existing production facilities and a recently reconfigured refining plant.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90026©2004 AAPG Annual Meeting, Dallas, Texas, April 18-21, 2004.