Cuba: An Overview of its Geology, Hydrocarbon Systems and
Petroleum Industry (2002)
Petroleum production in Cuba dates from 1881 when light oil production was established
from Motembo Field in the central part of the island. Cuba currently produces an all-time
record of approximately 50,000 bo/d of predominantly heavy crude and 55 MMcf/d of
associated natural gas, mainly from a series of fields along a relatively small, 100km
stretch of the northern coastline. This limited area of oil and gas production has more to do
with ease of logistics and proximity to the main market (Havana) than to prospectivity. The
largest of the currently-producing fields is Varadero Field, with an estimated 2 billion
barrels of oil in-place. Most of the present-day production comes from fractured Upper
Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous carbonate reservoirs (originally part of the Florida-
Bahamas platform) in structural traps of the north Cuban deformed belt. Relatively minor
production has also been established from fractured serpentinites and other basement
rocks. The major hydrocarbon source rocks are probably Upper Jurassic and/or Lower
Cretaceous in age. With the application of modern drilling and completion techniques
since Cuba opened its E&P sector to foreign participation in the 1990s, recently-drilled
wells commonly have sustained production rates above 1,000 bo/d, with some wells
reaching 3,000 bo/d. Despite these successes, current production still only meets around
30% of Cuba’s domestic demand. There are, however, indications that production and
reserves could be significantly greater in the future. In particular, the Cuban sector of the
Gulf of Mexico holds great promise as a future petroleum province.