Vaca Muerta
| Vaca Muerta Formation Stratigraphic range: Tithonian-Berriasian ~148–140 Ma |
|
|---|---|
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Mendoza Group |
| Underlies | Mulichinco Fm., Quintuco Fm., Picún Leufú Fm. |
| Overlies | Tordillo Formation |
| Thickness | 30 to 1,200 m (98 to 3,937 ft) |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Marl |
| Other | Organic shale, lime-mudstone |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 38°12′0″S 69°30′0″W / 38.20000°S 69.50000°W |
| Region | Neuquén Province |
| Country |
 Argentina
|
| Extent | >30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi) |
| Type section | |
| Named by | Charles E. Weaver |
| Location | Salado River valley |
| Year defined | 1931 |
| Country |
Argentina
|
 Hydrocarbon source rock maturity (Ro %) of the Vaca Muerta |
|
| Vaca Muerta | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Country | Argentina |
| Region | Neuquén Province |
| Offshore/onshore | Onshore |
| Coordinates | 38°12′0″S 69°30′0″W / 38.20000°S 69.50000°WCoordinates: 38°12′0″S 69°30′0″W / 38.20000°S 69.50000°W |
| Operator | YPF |
| Field history | |
| Start of development | 2011 |
| Start of production | 2011 |
| Production | |
| Current production of oil | 45,000 barrels per day (~2.2×106 t/a) |
| Estimated oil in place | 126 million tonnes (~ 147×106 m3 or 927 MMbbl) |
| Producing formations | Vaca Muerta |
Vaca Muerta (in Spanish literally Dead Cow) is a geologic formation of Jurassic and Cretaceous age, located at Neuquén Basin in Argentina. It is best known as the host rock for major deposits of tight oil (shale oil) and shale gas.
The large oil discovery in the Vaca Muerta Formation was made in 2010 by the former Repsol-YPF, which announced the discovery in May 2011. The total proven reserves are around 927 million barrels (147.4×106 m3), and YPF's production alone is nearly 45,000 barrels per day (7,200 m3/d). In February 2012, Repsol YPF SA raised its estimate of oil reserves to 22.5 billion barrels (3.58×109 m3). The US EIA estimates total recoverable hydrocarbons from this Vaca Muerta Formation to be 16.2 billion barrels (2.58×109 m3) of oil and 308 trillion cubic feet (8.7×1012 m3) of natural gas, more than even the Neuquén Basin's hydrocarbon-rich Middle Jurassic Los Molles Formation holds.
The Vaca Muerta Shale is a continuous tight oil and shale gas reservoir of Late Jurassic (Tithonian) and Early Cretaceous (Berriasian) age. The formation covers a total area of 30,000 square kilometres (12,000 sq mi). The shale is at a depth of about 9,500 feet (2,900 m), where it has been found productive of oil and gas. Although called a shale, and with a total organic carbon content varying from 1 percent to 5 percent, the Vaca Muerta is predominately marl and consists of mature black shales, marls and lime mudstones. Formed in a marine environment with little clay and brittle rock, the deposit is 30 to 1,200 metres (98 to 3,937 ft) (usually over 400 metres (1,300 ft)) thick, extending throughout the basin.
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