Syn-Orogenic Thrust Top Basin Sediments in the South Province of Cuba

J. Sanchez-Arango, R. Rodriguez, R. Socorro

This province occupies practically the whole onshore area, and extends to adjacent offshore areas to the South of Cuba. It covers an area of about 60,000 square kilometers.

Sediments accumulate in basins that rest on moving thrust sheets in a thrust-sheet top or piggyback basin.

The South Cuba Province contains ophiolite and volcanic rocks of the Zaza and Turquino Terraces, overthrusted across rocks of the continental margin. Three Late Cretaceous-Tertiary syn-orogenic thrust top/orogen collapse basins occur above the overthrusted Terraces, and contain thick sedimentary sequences up to 5-6 Kms thick syn-orogenic and overlying post-orogenic sediments. The Province is composed of the Western (Los Palacios, Batabano, Vegas and Mercedes), Central (Cabaiguan and Ana Maria) and Eastern (Cauto-Guacanayabo, Nipe and Guantanamo) Basins.

These early foreland basins are composed of terrigenous-calcarenous flysch sequences from Campanian to latest Eocene in age, comprising vulcanomictic litharenites derived from the volcanic area, interestratified with tuffs, pyroclastics, siliceous rocks, pelagic and oozes. The basin developed to the North of the Cretaceous and Paleogene volcanic arcs, where the main direction of transport was towards the developing basin. The sediments in general represent a bathyal environment.

The stratigraphic section of several deep wells drilled in the different basins and the corresponding generalized stratigraphic chart are shown.

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