Journal of Petroleum Geology, Vol.14,
No.3, pp. 343-354, 1991
©Copyright 2000 Scientific Press,
Ltd.
EXPLORATION POTENTIAL OF
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
G. M. Rohr*
* Consultant, Denver, CO, USA
Abstract
The Maturin Basin of eastern Venezuela,
including Trinidad, has produced approximately 9.5 billion brls
of oil, and is the site of significant new discoveries at El
Furrial and El Carito. The present structural basin
was formed by oblique compression during Oligocene to Miocene
time, with the northern flank being a folded and thrusted terrane
over-riding the South American continental margin. This deformed
northern flank extends into the subsurface to the basin axis, and
includes the southern half of the onshore and offshore territory
of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The basin was infilled
from west to east by deep-marine shales, turbidites, pelagic
oozes and deltaic sediments of Neogene age. Deltaic sands form
the reservoirs of all the important oilfields in the basin. Oil
occurrence on the northern flank of the basin is associated with
thrust-related structures in Venezuela and wrench-related
structures in Trinidad.
