Coordination of Seismic and Geologic Data in Poza Rica-Golden Lane Area, Mexico

Abstract

The Golden Lane oil fields, located along the crest of a buried Lower Cretaceous ridge south of Tampico, have produced 1,120 million barrels to date. From the initial discovery in 1908 until 1927, production was extended to San Isidro, south of the Tuxpan River, largely on the basis of trend. Commencing in 1942, a renewed effort employing gravity and seismic surveys was made to extend production southward, culminating in 1952 with a major discovery, the Ezequiel Ordonez field, about 50 kilometers farther southeast. Interpretive problems, stemming principally from reflection data discontinuities, are resolved through coordinated study with subsurface geologic data. Interpreted in this light, the seismic sections clarify the relationship of the Golden Lane ridge to the Poza Rica oil fields and to its regional setting. They have been proved valuable not only for locating Cretaceous reef highs, but also for detailing Tertiary strata overlying and flanking the Cretaceous.