Abstract: The Main Petroleum System of the Northern Cuba Basin and its Comparison with the Petroleum System of the Southeast Mexico Basin

López-Rivera, Juan G.; Tenreyro-Perez, R.; López-Quintero, J. O.; Navarrete-Reyes, L. E. - Ceinpet, Cuba

The southeast of Mexico and Northern Cuba have common features in their constitution and geologic evolution during the Jurassic and Cretaceous as adjacent zones of the Paleo-Thethys, which makes it possible to compare the main elements that conform their petroleum systems. Similar sedimentary sections are formed in Northern Cuba as well as in the southeast sections of Mexico, which are associated to the break period (Triassic-Middle Jurassic) of terrigenous and saline origin, and to the drift period (Upper Jurassic-Cretaceous) characterized by two types: carbonate and carbonate-terrigenous sediments of the basin and carbonate platform sediments, both overlaid by Tertiary and Recent terrigenous-carbonate deposits.

Mesozoic source and reservoir rocks as well as Tertiary seals, and the types of oils contained in the reservoirs are very similar in the southeast of Mexico and Northern Cuba. At the same time, the main reservoirs discovered in both basins share similar characteristics, being associated to Upper Jurassic-Cretaceous carbonate rocks, overlaid by Tertiary seals, and considerable hydrocarbon columns. The reservoirs in Mexico are located in the foreland basin while in Cuba they are related to the Orogen. It is possible that a zone similar to the Mexican foreland basin could be located in the Northern seas of Cuba or buried under the inland overthrusts. The similarities of the elements of the petroleum systems of southeast Mexico basin and Northern Cuba basin are evident, this allows to conclude about the high hydrocarbon potential of the last basin, still ?immature? in exploration.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90933©1998 ABGP/AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil