Abstract: Oil Prospects of Cuba

Manuel Marrero-Faz, Guillermo Hernandez-Perez

The Cuban Archipelago is an Early Tertiary thrust belt derived from the Collision of the Cretaceous volcanic arc from the South with the North American continental margin (Jurassic-Cretaceous).

The main characteristics of the hydrocarbon potential of Cuba are: (1) Widespread existence of Jurassic-Cretaceous source rocks and active process of generation of different types of oils; (2) Hydrocarbons are reservoired in a wide range of rock types most commonly in thrusted, fractured carbonates of Jurassic to Cretaceous age. This kind of reservoir is the most important in Cuba; (3) High density in area of different types of traps, being the most important hinterland dipping thrust sheet play; and (4) Migration and trapping of hydrocarbons mainly in Eocene. Migration is supposed to be mostly lateral. Vertical migration is not excluded in the South and also in some part of the North Province.

There still remains a significant number of untested, apparently valid exploration plays in both on- and offshore areas of Cuba.

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