Chicxulub impact: The origin of reservoir and seal facies in the southeastern Mexico oil fields

Research Article| April 01, 2000 Chicxulub impact: The origin of reservoir and seal facies in the southeastern Mexico oil fields José M. Grajales-Nishimura; José M. Grajales-Nishimura 1Subdirección de Exploración y Producción, Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo, 07730 México, D.F., México Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Esteban Cedillo-Pardo; Esteban Cedillo-Pardo 1Subdirección de Exploración y Producción, Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo, 07730 México, D.F., México Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Carmen Rosales-Domínguez; Carmen Rosales-Domínguez 1Subdirección de Exploración y Producción, Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo, 07730 México, D.F., México Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Dante J. Morán-Zenteno; Dante J. Morán-Zenteno 2Departamento de Geoquímica, Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 México, D.F., México Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Walter Alvarez; Walter Alvarez 3Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-4767, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Philippe Claeys; Philippe Claeys 4Museum für Naturkunde, D-10099 Berlin, Germany Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar José Ruíz-Morales; José Ruíz-Morales 5Región Marina Noreste, PEMEX Exploración y Producción, Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, México Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jesús García-Hernández; Jesús García-Hernández 5Región Marina Noreste, PEMEX Exploración y Producción, Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, México Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Patricia Padilla-Avila; Patricia Padilla-Avila 1Subdirección de Exploración y Producción, Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo, 07730 México, D.F., México Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Antonieta Sánchez-Ríos Antonieta Sánchez-Ríos 1Subdirección de Exploración y Producción, Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo, 07730 México, D.F., México Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information José M. Grajales-Nishimura 1Subdirección de Exploración y Producción, Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo, 07730 México, D.F., México Esteban Cedillo-Pardo 1Subdirección de Exploración y Producción, Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo, 07730 México, D.F., México Carmen Rosales-Domínguez 1Subdirección de Exploración y Producción, Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo, 07730 México, D.F., México Dante J. Morán-Zenteno 2Departamento de Geoquímica, Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 México, D.F., México Walter Alvarez 3Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-4767, USA Philippe Claeys 4Museum für Naturkunde, D-10099 Berlin, Germany José Ruíz-Morales 5Región Marina Noreste, PEMEX Exploración y Producción, Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, México Jesús García-Hernández 5Región Marina Noreste, PEMEX Exploración y Producción, Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, México Patricia Padilla-Avila 1Subdirección de Exploración y Producción, Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo, 07730 México, D.F., México Antonieta Sánchez-Ríos 1Subdirección de Exploración y Producción, Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo, 07730 México, D.F., México Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 03 Aug 1999 Revision Received: 13 Dec 1999 Accepted: 03 Jan 2000 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2000) 28 (4): 307–310. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<307:CITOOR>2.0.CO;2 Article history Received: 03 Aug 1999 Revision Received: 13 Dec 1999 Accepted: 03 Jan 2000 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation José M. Grajales-Nishimura, Esteban Cedillo-Pardo, Carmen Rosales-Domínguez, Dante J. Morán-Zenteno, Walter Alvarez, Philippe Claeys, José Ruíz-Morales, Jesús García-Hernández, Patricia Padilla-Avila, Antonieta Sánchez-Ríos; Chicxulub impact: The origin of reservoir and seal facies in the southeastern Mexico oil fields. Geology 2000;; 28 (4): 307–310. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<307:CITOOR>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Stratigraphic and mineralogic studies of Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary sections demonstrate that the offshore oil-producing breccias and seals from oil fields in the Campeche marine platform are of K-T boundary age and that their mode of formation is probably related to the K-T impact event at Chicxulub. The oil-producing carbonate breccia and the overlying dolomitized ejecta layer (seal) found in several wells on the Campeche marine platform contain typical Chicxulub impact products, such as shocked quartz and plagioclase, and altered glass. These offshore units are correlated with thick (∼50–300 m) onshore breccia and impact ejecta layers found at the K-T boundary in the Guayal (Tabasco) and Bochil (Chiapas) sections. Regionally the characteristic sequence is composed of, from base to top, coarse-grained carbonate breccia covered by an ejecta bed and typical K-T boundary clay. The onshore and offshore breccia sequences are likely to have resulted from major slumping of the carbonate platform margin triggered by the Chicxulub impact. Successive arrival times in this area, ∼350–600 km from the crater, of seismic shaking, ballistic ejecta, and tsunami waves fit the observed stratigraphic sequence. The K-T breccia reservoir and seal ejecta layer of the Cantarell oil field, with a current daily production of 1.3 million barrels of oil, are probably the most important known oil-producing units related to an impact event. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.