SACACUAL, Group

TERTIARY (upper Miocene to Pliocene)

State of Anzoátegui, Venezuela

Author of name: H. D. Hedberg and A. Pyre, 1944.

Original reference: H. D. Hedberg and A. Pyre, 1944, p. 24-25.

Original description: ibid.

The Sacacual group was originally described by Hedberg and Pyre (1944, p. 24-25) as a series of non-marine claystones, siltstones, sandstones and some pebbly beds overlapping the Santa Inés and older formations about the southern border of the northeastern Anzoátegui mountain front and extending southward to the Orinoco River. The sediments of this group show considerable lateral variation with unconformities of considerable magnitude developed within it. Facies differences within this group make it possible to distinguish several different formations, but none were listed or discussed. The age is considered to be approximately Pliocene. The name is derived from Quebrada Sacacual which cuts through the beds south of San Mateo (north-central Anzoátegui).

Hedberg et al. (1947, p. 2104-2105) described the Sacacual group as it is developed in the Greater Oficina area of central Anzoátegui. The Algarrobo and Las Piedras are recognized as formations within the Sacacual group.

Funkhouser et al. (1948, p. 1863-1865) did the same for the area of the Anaco fields in central Anzoâtegui, recognizing the Algarrobo, Quiriquire, Prespuntal and Las Piedras formations.

Hedberg (1950, p. 1206-1207) states that the whole group of related sediments above the uppermost marine beds of the Santa Inés group (and La Pica formation) and below the Pleistocene Mesa formation may conveniently be included under the term Sacacual group. Mentioned within it are the Algarrobo, Campo Santo, Las Piedras, Pando and Quiriquire formations. Hedberg considers Wilson's Caicaíto formation to be synonymous with the Quiriquire formation. The sediments are dominantly of continental or brackish-water origin, occur throughout the eastern portion of the Eastern Venezuela Basin, and locally overlap unconformably on older rocks on both its northern and southern edges. The age of the Sacacual group is considered to be uppermost Miocene and Pliocene.

The application of the published stratigraphic units (formations) within the Sacacual group regionally beyond their respective type localities is subject to wide variation by the various stratigraphers. Where identification of the individual formations is difficult or impossible, the term Sacacual group may be used to designate the sediments.

Wade H. Hadley Jr.