Vaca Muerta shale formation

E481077

Vaca Muerta shale formation is a vast, hydrocarbon-rich shale play in Argentina that is one of the world’s largest unconventional oil and gas reserves.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Vaca Muerta shale development 1

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf shale formation
shale play
unconventional hydrocarbon reservoir
basinType foreland basin
contains organic-rich marine shales
continent South America
country Argentina
depositionalEnvironment marine
developmentMethod horizontal drilling
hydraulic fracturing
discoveryStatus known since early 20th century as source rock
economicImportance key driver of Argentina’s energy sector
major target for foreign energy investment
estimatedRecoverableResources tens of billions of barrels of oil equivalent
geologicalAge Early Cretaceous NERFINISHED
Late Jurassic
globalSignificance one of the world’s largest unconventional oil and gas reserves
hydrocarbonType natural gas
oil
languageOfName Spanish
lithology shale
locatedIn La Pampa Province NERFINISHED
Mendoza Province NERFINISHED
Neuquén Basin NERFINISHED
Neuquén Province NERFINISHED
Río Negro Province NERFINISHED
mainOperator YPF NERFINISHED
namedAfter Vaca Muerta area in Neuquén NERFINISHED
nameMeaning Dead Cow
otherOperators Chevron NERFINISHED
ExxonMobil NERFINISHED
Pan American Energy NERFINISHED
Shell NERFINISHED
TotalEnergies NERFINISHED
overlies Tordillo Formation NERFINISHED
partOf Mendoza Group NERFINISHED
period Cretaceous
Jurassic
resourceType shale gas
tight oil
unconventional oil
sourceRockFor conventional oil fields in Neuquén Basin
stratigraphicUnitOf Neuquén Basin NERFINISHED
thickness up to several hundred meters
unconventionalDevelopmentStart early 2010s
underlies Agrio Formation NERFINISHED
Mulichinco Formation NERFINISHED

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Neuquén Province contains Vaca Muerta shale formation
Neuquén River nearbyEconomicActivity Vaca Muerta shale formation
this entity surface form: Vaca Muerta shale development