Examination of the Complex Transition Zone in the Southern Gulf of Paria, Trinidad-Venezuela

The Gulf of Paria straddles the border between Trinidad and Venezuela north of the Eastern and Columbus foreland basins. On both sides of the border hydrocarbons are produced from siliciclastic reservoirs of varying age, usually younger than Oligocene. The oils produced vary from light to heavy, and form a lineament following major thrusts in the region. It is a proven fact that the geological structures present in the Trinidad region are not only linked with structures present in Eastern Venezuela, but in most cases they share similar causal mechanisms. This paper presents an overview of the structural and stratigraphic evolution of the southern Gulf of Paria transition zone and applying the results to Hydrocarbon exploration. This work was based on analysis of a combined dataset of approximately 1425 km of 2D seismic lines and 10 wells.