--> ABSTRACT: Petroleum Systems of the Western Maracaibo Basin, Venezuela, by Luis E. Mompart, C. Lee; #91020 (1995).

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Petroleum Systems of the Western Maracaibo Basin, Venezuela

Luis E. Mompart, C. Lee

A multidisciplinary survey of the western margin of the Maracaibo Basin, using field and well data as well as geochemical analysis of rocks, oils and seeps, was undertaken with the objective of distinguishing areas of different petroleum potential, in terms of their charge and oil quality.

In summary, the world-famous Cenomanian-Santonian La Luna Formation is a prolific oil-source rock, which has charged a petroleum system present throughout the Maracaibo Basin.

Cretaceous-sourced oils are widespread throughout the Maracaibo. For the unbiodegraded produced oils, oil quality and maturity follow predictable reservoir-stratigraphic and geographic trends (oil maturity increases: post-Colon-pre-Colon reservoirs and north-south).

The Paleogene Marcelina and Carbonera formations contain coals and coaly shales, capable of generating significant amounts of hydrocarbons and their petroleum system would be charged in the southwest of the Maracaibo Basin. Therefore, compared to the widespread Cretaceous-sourced petroleum system it is arealy more limited, yet may still be of great economic significance for new exploration plays in the southwest.

The existence of these two petroleum systems is supported by the identification of different oil families using gas chromatography and biomarker source parameters. For instance, these oil families are clearly distinguished by their differing regular sterane distributions.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91020©1995 AAPG Annual Convention, Houston, Texas, May 5-8, 1995