Hydrocarbons and petroleum geology of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

Authors

  • E. A. ROSELLO CONICET and Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad de Buenos AiresPabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria. C1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • C. E. HARING REPSOL-YPFAv. Diagonal Norte 777, C1364, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • G. CARDINALI REPSOL-YPFAv. Diagonal Norte 777, C1364, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • F. SUÁREZ REPSOL-YPFAv. Diagonal Norte 777, C1364, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • G. A. LAFFITTE M&P SystemMiró 525. C1406, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • V. A. NEVISTIC REPSOL-YPFAv. Diagonal Norte 777, C1364, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1344/105.000000242

Keywords:

Hydrocarbons, Exploration, Austral-Magellan Basin, Tierra del Fuego

Abstract

The history of the hydrocarbon exploration and present production, as well as a compilation of their main tectosedimentary features in the Argentine territory of Tierra del Fuego Island are summarized in this paper. The exploration and production of hydrocarbons in the studied region is mostly restricted to both onshore and offshore portions of the Austral-Magellan Basin. Their infil is constituted by a Late Cretaceous to Tertiary sedimentary and volcanoclastic 8,000 m thick succession deposited on a folded and eroded basement cropping out along the northern foothill of the Fueguian Andes. The main productive levels are sandy layers of the Springhill Fm and Tobífera Fm in the eroded basement highs. Also, levels of the Tertiary sequences are currently under evaluation adding an exploratory potential ranging from conventional plays related to transpression and inversion structure to new scenarios based upon tectosedimentary concepts.

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Published

2008-03-26