The mixed carbonate-siliciclastic sedimentary successions of Early Miocene age outcropping in the northern and southern Falcón Basin (northwestern Venezuela) were analyzed by multidisciplinary and multiscale approaches involving geological mapping, stratigraphic section logging, sampling, facies analysis, sequence stratigraphy, biostratigraphy of larger foraminifera, structural geology, total subsidence curves and geochemistry. The basin analysis presented in this thesis compiles and revises previous published and unpublished geological data from the Falcón Basin, and provides novel results and interpretations such as a cartography and an Early Miocene alaeogeographic map of the basin, sequence- and chrono-stratigraphic frameworks for the successions studied, depositional and architectural models of the mixed carbonate-siliciclastic systems investigated, an evaluation of the evolution of accommodation (mainly controlled by subsidence, eustasy and tectonic uplift) in the basin during the Oligocene-Miocene, and stable C- and O-isotopic data. Lastly, the results are compared with the knowledge available from the Oligo-Miocene subsurface carbonate gas reservoir of Perla (Gulf of Venezuela) to establish analogies and differences between the onshore and offshore carbonate platforms. The results presented in this thesis indicate that in the Falcón Basin, the Oligocene Epoch was characterized by continental to deep-marine siliciclastic sedimentation into a west-east trending rift basin. Carbonate banks were developed during the Early Miocene on top of tilted fault blocks in the northern and southern margins of the basin (San Luis and Churuguara formations, respectively), while hemipelagic and pelagic sedimentation occurred in half-grabens and troughs. The limestones of the San Luis and Churuguara formations occur interdigitated and alternated with siliciclastic systems. Middle to lower ramp carbonates are mainly preserved in the southern Churuguara Formation. The San Luis Formation exhibits both distal facies and more proximal parts of the depositional system including deltaic to upper carbonate ramp transitions. Faciesdiagnostic skeletal components constituting the platform carbonates investigated correspond to red algae, frequently forming rhodoliths, larger foraminifera, corals and echinoids. Carbonate production mainly occurred in the meso-oligophotic zone of distally-steepened ramps (middle ramp domain). Synrift subsidence was the most important mechanism in providing accommodation but it did not entirely overprint the eustatic signature. Six Aquitanian to Burdigalian third-order transgressive-regressive sequences were recognized in the northern and southern margins of the basin. These sequences are mainly comprehended within a higher-rank (second order) Early Miocene transgressive event. Shorter-term trends of relative sea level gave rise to ten distinct types of parasequences. Coarse siliciclastics were mainly deposited during regressive pulses linked to such lower-rank higher-frequency cycles. The San Luis and Churuguara formations are dated as Early Miocene on account of the co-occurrence of Lepidocyclina favosa/undosa, Lepidocyclina canellei, Heterostegina antillea, Operculinoides panamensis, Miosorites americanus and Annulosorites spiralis. In the Falcón Basin, the boundary between the Aquitanian and the Burdigalian is marked by a change to more complex (larger number of lateral chambers) and larger-sized faunas of miogypsinids. The platform carbonates of San Luis were buried by coarse siliciclastic deposits in the late Burdigalian, whereas in the southern margin, the Churuguara limestones experienced two drowning events followed by hemipelagic to pelagic sedimentation around the boundary between the Aquitanian and Burdigalian and in the late Burdigalian. Similarly to the San Luis and Churuguara mixed carbonate-siliciclastic systems, the carbonate reservoir of Perla, in the offshore of Venezuela, exhibits a distally-steepened ramp depositional profile, was formed during an overall major transgressive context and is mainly consituted by red algal- and larger foraminifera-rich middle ramp carbonates. However, the spatial extension, thickness and architecture of the Perla reservoir are not comparable to those from the onshore case studies due to differences in the geotectonic settings and the antecedent topographies. Furthermore, the lower ramp-to-basin passage in San Luis is by escarpment with olistoliths occuring in basinal settings, whereas in Churuguara and Perla this transition seems to be more gradual with lower ramp carbonates fading out into shale deposits. Carbonate sedimentation in Perla and San Luis occurred uninterruptedly throughout most of the Early Miocene, whereas the Churuguara succession exhibits a lower carbonate bank of Aquitanian age and an upper bank of Burdigalian age separated by a shale interval. The Perla reservoir shows an overall retrograding stacking pattern. In contrast, the carbonates of Churuguara and San Luis are stacked in an aggrading pattern. Therefore, the San Luis and Churuguara carbonates are not regarded as suitable analogues for the Perla reservoir highlighting the fact that each depositional system and thus, each hydrobarbon reservoir, has its own singularities and is physically unique.