Hydrocarbon Accumulation Characteristics of the Perdido Fold Belt, Burgos Basin, Gulf of Mexico—A Comparison Between the Central and Eastern Regions

Frequent salt tectonic activities within the Perdido fold belt complicate hydrocarbon accumulation, severely constraining hydrocarbon exploration. In this paper, the characteristics and differences of hydrocarbon accumulation in the Wilcox and Frio Formations in the central and eastern regions of the Perdido fold belt are analyzed through geochemical analysis, hydrocarbon generation simulation, and regional tectonic restoration. The results indicate the following: (1) Hydrocarbon in the Wilcox and Frio Formations in both the central and eastern regions of the Perdido fold belt originates from the Jurassic Tithonian source rocks. (2) Source rocks in the central and eastern regions entered the oil generation threshold in the late Paleocene and reached the oil generation peak in the late Eocene. Compared with the central region, the eastern region reached the gas generation threshold earlier, which is influenced by the activities and differential distribution of salt in the Perdido fold belt. (3) Hydrocarbon accumulation in central and eastern regions is divided into four stages, showing a “terraced single-layer” and “dual-layer” accumulation pattern in the central and eastern regions of the Perdido fold belt, respectively. (4) Central and eastern regions represent discrepancies in the petroleum systems elements of reservoirs, caprocks, traps, generation, charging, and preservation of hydrocarbon.