Journal of Petroleum Geology, Vol.16, No.4, pp. 371-382, 1993

©Copyright 2000 Scientific Press, Ltd.

THE HISTORY OF HYDROCARBONS EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION
IN ARGENTINA

M. R. Yrigoyen*

* IAP, AGA. National Academy of Sciences, Zavalfa 2048, 5° piso 1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Abstract

Sedimentary basins in Argentina cover about 1.4 MM sq.km on land, and 400,000 sq.km offshore as far as the 200-m isobath. Oil and gas has been produced from six mostly onshore pericratonic basins, all of which belong to the Sub-Andean domain. Their current daily production amounts to 553,800 brls of oil (of which only 26,500 b/d comes from the offshore) and 2, 392 million cu.ft of gas. Currently, proved reserves are around 1. 354 million brls of oil and 20.3 trillion cu ft of gas. Cumulative production to end-1990 was 5.O billion brls of oil and 13.7 trillion cu ft of gas, 93% of which was associated gas.