Overview of Exploration Potential of Colombia

R. Bueno, W. H. Kanes

The sedimentary basins of Colombia, including the Llanos, Putumayo, Upper Magdalena, Middle Magdalena, Lower Magdalena-Sinu, Cauca-Patia, Cesar-Rancheria, Guajira, and Chaco-Pacifico basins, are placed in a comprehensive geologic framework. All basins are related to the tectonic evolution of northwestern South America.

Basin stratigraphic packages are defined for each sequence, and this sequence stratigraphy is related to the following events: (1) pre-Cretaceous tectonic fabric, (2) docking of the Amaime and Cordillera Occidental terranes, (3) eastward movement of the Caribbean plate, (4) accretion of the Baudo terrane and the welding of Central America, and (5) Miocene-Holocene plate collision.

Brief overviews of basin exploration histories suggest that early established tectonic trends tend to undergo repeated deformation and are an important factor in the accumulation of major hydrocarbon reserves. This is particularly true where basement inversion or broad regional cross structures are present. Also, the amount of wrench faulting and its effect on migration paths and trap formation is still incompletely understood but undoubtedly has a strong influence in the formation of large fields. As more regional studies are made and detailed studies are synthesized in light of regional structural and stratigraphic patterns, significant additional hydrocarbon discoveries should be forthcoming.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91022©1989 AAPG Annual Convention, April 23-26, 1989, San Antonio, Texas.