Circum-Pacific Council for Energy and Mineral Resources 2009 Energy and

Mineral Potential of the Central American-Caribbean Region, Volume 16, 1995.

Circum-Pacific Council for Energy and Mineral Resources

Earth Science Series, Vol. 16
R. L. Miller, G. Escalante, J. A. Reinemund, and M. J. Bergin (Eds.)
Energy and Mineral Potential of the Central American-Caribbean Regions
Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg 1995

THE COBAN FORMATION IN THE PETEN BASIN, GUATEMALA

L. A. Wug, R. M. Matias, C. A. De Leon, and J . S. De la C r u z

Ministerio de Energia y Minas, Direction General de Hidrocarburos, Departamento Desarrollo Petrolero,
Section de Geologia, Diagonal 17,29-78 zona 11,01011 Guatemala, C.A.

ABSTRACT

The Coban Formation of Cretaceous age is known from well data in both North and South Peten subbasins. These subbasins
are separated by the east-west trending Arco de laLibertad. Four lithologic subdivisions have been recognized in the wells, which
from the top down have been called Coban A, B , C, and D. This paper formalizes these subdivisions, here designated as members,
and provides lithologic descriptions of each member together with its stratigraphic relations to adjacent members. The Coban has
an average thickness of about 16,000 ft. It was deposited in a shallow water platform environment. The Coban is overlain by the
Campur Formation of Late Cretaceous age and underlain by the Todos Santos Formation of Jurassic age.

INTRODUCTION developed during the Mesozoic-Cenozoic when approxi

The present work consists of a clarification of the
stratigraphy of the Coban Formation in the subsurface of the
Peten basin, and includes technical data related to its forma
tion. The purpose is to give formal definitions that will help
in its identification, mapping, and interpretation in the sub
surface. The information consultedconsists mainly of unpub
lished technical material available at the Direction General
de Hidrocarburos.
mately 30,500 ft of sediments were deposited on Permian
limestones and shales. The basal unit of this sequence is
composed of Jurassic clastic sediments, salt, and other evapor-
ites; on this lies a thick transgressive sequence of Cretaceous
carbonates and evaporites, capped by clastic regressive sedi
ments (Figure 1).
T H E COBAN F O R M A T I O N

The Coban Formation (Cretaceous: Barremian-

Cenomanian) is a part of the stratigraphic sequence of the
T H E P E T E N BASIN
Peten basin. In the North Peten subbasin it is overlain
unconformably by the Buena Vista and Santa Amelia (Ter
In Guatemala, three sedimentary basins are present,
tiary) Formations. In the South Peten subbasin it is overlain
which differ from each other both structurally and
conformably and sometimes gradationally by the Campur
strati graphically: Pacific to the south, Amatique to the north
Formation (Santonian-Maestrichtian), and overlies theTodos
east, and Peten to the north.
Santos Formation in an apparent gradational contact (Juras
The Peten basin is divided into North Peten or Paso
sic).
Caballos and South Peten or Chapayal, which are separated
by the anticline Arco de laLibertad, which has an east-west
trend. It is believed, however, that both subbasins were Historical Background
intimately linked during the greater part of their history. This
2
basin has an area of approximately 60,000 k m and covers The first one to use the term Coban Formation was
most of northern Guatemala. It is a lithologic element that Sapper (1899), who gave this name to a thick sequence of