Abstract
The petroleum potential of Puerto Rico is poorly known, owing to a lack of exploration effort. Studies to date have concluded that pre-Eocene basement rocks on the island possess little petroleum potential, although, ironically, the only free oil and gas that has been discovered to date was found in these rocks. Of four middle Tertiary basins on Puerto Rico, the North Coast, San Juan, North Mona, and South Coast, only the San Juan and North Coast basins hold particular promise. The North Mona and South Coast basins contain apparently too little stratal thickness to allow petroleum maturation, given what is known about temperature/depth gradients on Puerto Rico. However, more seismic coverage is needed in the San Juan, South Coast, and North Mona basins. The North Coast and San Juan basins contain up to perhaps 6 km of middle Tertiary and younger strata, probably enough to allow for petroleum maturation. However, sedimentary-organic facies of these deep basinal rocks are essentially unknown because they are not observed in outcrop nor penetrated by drilling. Until these deep basinal facies are explored, the petroleum potential of Puerto Rico cannot be properly assessed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References Cited
Birch, F. S., 1986, Isostatic, thermal and flexural models of the subsidence of the north coast of Puerto Rico: Geology, v. 14, p. 427–429.
Briggs, R. P., 1961, Geology of Kewanee Interamerican Oil Company Test Well Number 4CPR, Northern Puerto Rico, in Oil and gas possibilities of northern Puerto Rico: San Juan, Puerto Rico Mining Commission, p. 1–23.
deJong, A.,1974, Evaluation of hydrocarbon prospects of the island of Puerto Rico: Western Geophysical Company of America and Fugro, Inc., unpublished report: San Juan, Department of Natural Resources, 20 p.
Espitalie, J., M. Madec, and B. Tissot, 1980, Role of mineral matrix in kerogen pyrolysis: Influence on petroleum generation and migration: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 64, p. 59–66.
Fox, P. J., and B. C. Heezen, 1975, Geology of the Caribbean crust, in A. E. M. Nairn and F. G. Stehli, eds., The ocean basins and margins, v.3, The Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico: New York, Plenum Press, p. 421–466.
Frost, S. H., et al., 1983, Oligocene reef tract development Southwestern Puerto Rico: Sediments IX: The Comparative Laboratory Division of Marine Geology and Geophysics Rosenthiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 143 p.
Glover, L., III, 1971, Geology of the Coamo area, Puerto Rico, and its relation to the volcanic arc-trench association: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 636, 102p.
Hayes, J., D. K. Larue, J. Joyce, and J. H. Schellekens, 1985, Puerto Rico: Reconnaissance study of the maturation and source rock potential of an oceanic arc involved in a collision: Journal of Marine and Petroleum Geology, v. 3, p. 151–161.
Heezen, B. C., W. D. Nesteroff, M. Rawson, and R. P. FreemanLynde, 1985, Visual evidence for subduction in the western Puerto Rico trench, in A. Mascle, ed., Caribbean Geodynamics Symposium, Paris, March 5–8, 1985: Paris, France, Editions, Technip, p. 287–304.
Joyce, J., 1985, High pressure-low temperature metamorphism and the tectonic evolution of the Samaria Peninsula, Dominican Republic, Greater Antilles: Ann Arbor, Michigan, University Microfilms, 250 p.
Mattson, P. H., 1960, Geology of the Mayaguez area, Puerto Rico: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 71, p. 319–362.
Mattson, P. H., 1967, Cretaceous and lower Tertiary stratigraphy in west-central Puerto Rico: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1254B, 35p.
Mattson, P. H., and E. A. Pessagno, Jr., 1971, Caribbean Eocene volcanism and Atlantic Ocean Layer A: Science, v. 87, p. 293–304.
Mattson, P. H., and E. A. Pessagno, Jr., 1979, Jurassic and Early Cretaceous radiolarians in Puerto Rican ophiolite—Tectonic implications: Geology, v. 7, p. 440–444.
McCann, W. R., and L. R. Sykes, 1984, Subduction of aseismic ridges beneath the Caribbean Plate: Implications for the tectonics and seismic potential of the northeastern Caribbean: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 89, p. 4493–4519.
Meyerhoff, A. A., E. W. Krieg, J. D. Cloos, and I. Taner, 1983, Petroleum possibilities of Puerto Rico: Oil and Gas Journal, v. 81, no. 51, p. 113–120.
Moussa, M. T., G. A. Seiglie, A. A. Meyerhoff, and I. Taner, 1987, The Quebradillas Limestone (Miocene-Pliocene), northern Puerto Rico, and tectonics of the northeastern Caribbean margin: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 99, p. 427–439.
Perfit, M. R., B.C. Heezen, M. Rawson, and T. W. Donnelly, 1980, Chemistry, origin, and tectonic significance of metamorphic rocks from the Puerto Rico Trench: Marine Geology, v. 34, p. 125–156.
Pindell, J., and J. F. Dewey,1982, Peemo-Triassic reconstruction of western Pangea and the evolution of the Gulf of Mexico/ Caribbean region: Tectonics, v. 1, no. 2, p. 179–211.
Schell, B. A., and A. C. Tarr, 1978, Plate tectonics of the northeastern Caribbean Sea region: Geologie en Mi jnbouw, v. 57, p. 319–324.
Seiglie, G. A., and M. T. Moussa, 1984, Late Oligocene-Pliocene transgressive-regressive cycles of sedimentation in northwestern Puerto Rico: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir 36, p. 89–96.
Todd, R., and D. Low, 1976, Smaller foraminifera from deep wells on Puerto Rico and St. Croix: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 863, 32p.
Weaver, J., A. Smith, and G. Seiglie, 1975, Geology and tectonics of the Mona Passage: Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, v. 56, p. 451.
Western Geophysical Company of America and Fugro, Inc., 1973, Geological-geophysical reconnaissance of Puerto Rico for siting of nuclear power plants: San Juan, The Puerto Rico Water Resources Authority, 127 p.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1995 Circum-Pacific Council for Energy and Mineral Resources
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Larue, D.K., Torrini, R. (1995). Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Potential of Puerto Rico. In: Miller, R.L., Escalante, G., Reinemund, J.A., Bergin, M.J. (eds) Energy and Mineral Potential of the Central American-Caribbean Region. Circum-Pacific Council for Energy and Mineral Resources Earth Science Series, vol 16. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-79476-6_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-79476-6_15
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-79478-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-79476-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive