Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions
Vol.
58 (
2008),
Pages
501-
501ABSTRACT: Petroleum Prospects and Discoveries in Central Belize
David T. King, Jr.
Geology Office, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849-5305
ABSTRACT
Recently renewed petroleum exploration efforts in central Belize have shown
that small-scale anticlinal features are important productive petroleum traps
in that area. These geologic structures are related to tectonic forces that
affected the area beginning mainly during Cretaceous but continuing into
Paleogene. The trend in orientation of these structures is north-northeast
to south-southwest in the northern and central part of Belize, but the trend
changes to more nearly east-northeast to west-southwest as these structures
draw near to the Maya Mountains. The petroleum-bearing units are the Hill
Bank and Yalbac formations, but petroleum may reside in overlying units (Barton
Creek and El Cayo carbonates) as well. Petroleum traps at the newly discovered
Spanish Lookout Oil Field, and another new oil field nearby, are small-scale
anticlines. At this time, Spanish Lookout Oil Field is producing approximately
3000 barrels per day, but has a potential for perhaps as much as 5000 barrels
per day. Seismic, aeromagnetic, and gravity data support the interpretation
of similar small-scale anticlinal structures in many areas within the two
main petroleum concessions of central Belize. These concessions are
held separately by Belize Natural Energy (BNE) and a Belizean consortium
known as BCH-ZMT. Oil seeps are closely associated with all the known and
most of the potential oil fields of central Belize. The Hellgate oil seep
was discovered in 1951, but subsequently lost and thus not sampled until
it was found again last year. This oil seep may be related to an important
subsurface anticlinal feature near the Sibun River, which is within the BCH-ZMT
joint concession. This paper reviews the history and potential for petroleum
production in the whole of central Belize.
Copyright © 2008, The Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies. All Rights Reserved.