Neuquén Basin

Neuquén Basin
	Cuenca Neuquina
	Map of Vaca Muerta showing the extent of the Neuquén Basin. Colors indicate hydrocarbon maturity as measured by vitrinite reflectance. Huincul Fault is shown in grey.
Coordinates	38°14′S 69°16′W
Etymology	Neuquén River
Location	Southern South America
Country	Argentina; Chile
State(s)	Mendoza, Río Negro, La Pampa, & Neuquén Provinces; Araucanía & Bío Bío Regions
Cities	Neuquén, Bariloche
Characteristics
On/Offshore	Onshore
Boundaries	Andean Volcanic Belt (W); San Rafael Block (NE); Sierra Pintada (E); North Patagonian Massif (SE)
Part of	Andean foreland basins
Area	120,000 km2 (46,000 sq mi)
Hydrology
River(s)	Río Negro, Colorado, Limay, Collón Curá & Neuquén Rivers
Lake(s)	Ezquiel Ramos Mexía, Los Barreales & Mari Menuco Reservoirs
Geology
Basin type	Foreland basin
Plate	South American
Orogeny	Andean
Age	Triassic-Holocene
Stratigraphy	Stratigraphy
Faults	Huincul
Field(s)	a.o. Vaca Muerta (unconventional oil)

Neuquén Basin (Spanish: Cuenca Neuquina) is a sedimentary basin covering most of Neuquén Province in Argentina. The basin originated in the Jurassic and developed through alternating continental and marine conditions well into the Tertiary. The basin bounds to the west with the Andean Volcanic Belt, to the southeast with the North Patagonian Massif and to the northeast with the San Rafael Block and to the east with the Sierra Pintada System.[1] The basin covers an area of approximately 120,000 square kilometres (46,000 sq mi).[2] One age of the SALMA classification, the Colloncuran, is defined in the basin, based on the Collón Curá Formation, named after the Collón Curá River, a tributary of the Limay River.

Description

Jurassic and Cretaceous marine transgressions from the Pacific are recorded in the sediments of Neuquén Basin. These marine sediments belong to Cuyo Group, Tordillo Formation, Auquilco Formation and Vaca Muerta.[3] In the Late Cretaceous, conditions in the neighboring Andean orogeny changed. A marine regression occurred and the fold and thrust belts of Malargüe (36°00 S), Chos Malal (37° S) and Agrio (38° S) started to develop in the Andes and did so until Eocene times. This meant an advance of the Andean orogenic deformation since the Late Cretaceous that made the western part of Neuquén Basin to stack in the Malargüe and Agrio fold and thrust belts.[3][4] This caused a shift in deposition from Pacific to Early Atlantic.[5]

In the south of Mendoza Province, the Guañacos fold and thrust belt (36.5° S) appeared and grew in the Pliocene and Pleistocene consuming the western fringes of the Neuquén Basin.[3][4]

Tectonics

The Huincul basement high or Huincul ridge (Spanish: dorsal de Huincul) is a geological structure that divides Neuquén Basin in two parts.[6][7] The basement high is one of the most studied features of Neuquén Basin given its importance for hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation.[7] All over the basement high runs an approximate length of 250 kilometres (160 mi).[7] There have been proposals on the nature of this structure. In the 1970s and 1980s it was proposed by that it was a transpressive fault zone.[6][7] In 2009, Pángaro described it as being made up of inverted half-grabens.[7]

Unconformities have been registered in the basin and were dated at 98, 117, 123, 129, 134 and 154 Ma.[8]

Stratigraphy

Map of the Río Negro watershed. The Neuquén Basin comprises the upper course of the Río Negro, stretching towards the Colorado River in the north and to the Limay River in the south.
Various stratigraphic units are named after these rivers and their tributaries.

The basin contains many stratigraphic units from the Triassic onwards, with large regional variations from east to west and north to south, often described as different formations that are laterally equivalent, this list is a comprehensive overview of described formations:

Cenozoic

Tromen Formation (Holocene)[9]
Cerro Campanario Formation (Late Pleistocene-Holocene)[9]
El Puente Formation (Middle Pleistocene)[9]
Chapúa Formation (Early Pleistocene)[9]
Agua de la Caldera Formation (Pleistocene)[10]
El Sauzal Formation (Pleistocene)[10]
Coyocho Formation (Middle Miocene-Early Pleistocene)[9]
Bayo Mesa Formation (Late Pliocene to Pleistocene)[10][11]
Los Pinos Formation (Late Pliocene)[12]
Pampa Encima Formation (Late Pliocene)[13]
Chenqueniyeu Formation (Pliocene)[14]
Chapelcó Formation (Pliocene)[14]
Rincón Bayo Formation (Middle Pliocene)[13]
Chos Malal-Trahalhué Formation (Late Miocene-Early Pliocene)[13]
El Palo Formation (Late Miocene to Early Pliocene)[10]
Arroyo Palao Formation (Late Miocene)[15]
Tristeza Formation (Late Miocene)[15]
Río Negro Formation or Caleufú Formation (Middle to Late Miocene)[16]
Barranca de los Loros Formation (Late Miocene-Early Pliocene)[17][10]
Collón Cura Formation (Colloncuran)[18]
Cerro Bandera Formation (Colhuehuapian)[19]
Chichinales Formation (Colhuehuapian)[20][10]
Vaca Mahuida Formation (Late Oligocene to Middle Miocene)[10]
Sierra Negra Formation (Oligocene-Early Miocene)[13]
Palauco Formation (Oligocene)[15]
Lolog Formation (Late Eocene)[21]
Colpilli Formation (Eocene)[13]
Cayanta Formation (Eocene)[13]
Ventana Formation (Lutetian, early Mustersan)[22]
Huitrera Formation (Paleocene to Oligocene)[21]

Mesozoic

Malargüe Group[13][23][15]
- Agua de la Piedra Formation (Deseadan to Early Miocene)[9][note 1]
- Pircala Formation (Paleocene)[13][23][9]
- Coihueco Formation (Paleocene)[9]
- El Carrizo Formation (Danian)[10][17]
- Roca Formation (Danian in the south, late Maastrichtian in the north)[13][17][23]
- Loncoche Formation (Maastrichtian to Danian)[13][9][23]
- Jagüel Formation (middle to late Maastrichtian)[17][23]
- Allen Formation (middle Campanian to early Maastrichtian)[17][23]
Diamante Formation (Cenomanian-Campanian)[23][15]
Neuquén Group[23][15]
- Río Colorado Subgroup (Santonian to early Campanian)[13][23]
  - Anacleto Formation (early Campanian)
  - Bajo de la Carpa Formation (Santonian)
- Río Neuquén Subgroup (late Turonian to Coniacian)[13][23]
  - Plottier Formation (late Coniacian ?to early Santonian)
  - Sierra Barrosa Formation (middle to late Coniacian)[24]
  - Los Bastos Formation (early to middle Coniacian)[25]
  - Portezuelo Formation (late Turonian to early Coniacian)
- Río Limay Subgroup (Cenomanian to early Turonian)[13][23]
  - Lisandro Formation (late Cenomanian to early Turonian)
  - Huincul Formation (late Cenomanian)
  - Candeleros Formation (early Cenomanian)
Los Machís Formation (Cenomanian to Santonian)[26]
Late Mirano unconformity (98 Ma)
Lohan Cura Formation (Late Aptian to Albian)[23]
Rayoso Group (Aptian to Albian)[27][23][15]
- Rayoso Formation (Albian)[13][27][23][15]
- Middle Mirano unconformity (117 Ma)
- Huitrín Formation (Aptian)[13][27][23][15]
- La Amarga Formation (Barremian to early Aptian)[23]
Early Mirano unconformity (123 Ma)
Centenario Formation (Valanginian) to Barremian)[28]
Mendoza Group (early Tithonian to earliest Aptian[27][23][15][29]
- Agrio Formation (Hauterivian to earliest Aptian)[27] or late Valanginian to latest Barremian[13][23][15][29][30]
- Unconformity (129 Ma)
- Chachao Formation (Valanginian to Hauterivian)[27]
- Unconformity (134 Ma)
- Mulichinco Formation (Valanginian)[13][23][15][29]
- Bajada Colorada Formation (Late Berriasian to Early Valanginian)[23][29]
- Loma Montosa Formation (Berriasian to Valanginian)[31][32]
- Quintuco Formation (Berriasian to Valanginian)[23][29]
- Picún Leufú Formation (Tithonian to Berriasian)[23][15][29]
- Lindero de Piedra Formation[33]
- Vaca Muerta (Tithonian to Berriasian)[13][27][15][29]
- Quebrada del Sapo Formation (Kimmeridgian)[23]
- Catriel Formation (Kimmeridgian)[34]
Tordillo Formation (Kimmeridgian)[13][27][23][15][note 2]
Unconformity (154 Ma)
Río Damas Formation (Late Jurassic)[35]
Lotena Group (middle Callovian to late Oxfordian)[13][23]
- Auquilco Formation (late Oxfordian)[13][9][23][15]
- La Manga Formation (early Oxfordian)[13][9][23][15]
- Lotena Formation (Callovian to Oxfordian)[13][23][15]
Cuyo Group (Pliensbachian to middle Callovian)[13][23][15]
- Challaco Formation (Bathonian)[23]
- Tábanos Formation (Callovian)[13][9][23]
- Calabozo Formation (Middle Jurassic)[9]
- Punta Rosada Formation[36]
- Lajas Formation (Bajocian to Bathonian)[9][23][15][36]
- Tres Esquinas Formation (Toarcian to Callovian)[9]
- Los Molles Formation (Pliensbachian to Callovian)[13][9][23][15][note 3]
- Chuchil Formation (Pliensbachian)[13][23]
Piedra del Aguila Formation (Early to Middle Jurassic)[37]
Sañicó Formation (Early to Middle Jurassic)[37]
Sierra Chacaico Formation (Early to Middle Jurassic)[37]
Puesta Araya Formation (Hettangian to Bathonian)[9][23]
El Freno Formation (Pliensbachian to Toarcian)[23]
Primavera Formation (Hettangian to Sinemurian)[13]
Lapa Formation (Hettangian to Sinemurian)[23]
Nestares Formation (Early Jurassic)[38]
Planicie Morada Formation (Late Triassic to Sinemurian)[39]
Paso Flores Formation (Late Triassic)[38]
Milla Michicó Formation (Late Triassic)[13]
Remoredo Formation (Late Triassic)[9]
Chihuido Formation (Late Triassic)[9]
Tronqulmalal Formation (Mid-Late Triassic)[9]
Cordillera del Viento Formation (Early to Middle Triassic)[13]

Paleozoic

Choiyoi Group (Late Permian-Mid Triassic)[9]
- El Palque Formation
- Horcajos Formation
- Portezuelo del Cenizo Formation
- Tambillos Formation
- Vega de Los Machos Formation

Petroleum geology

The Neuquén Basin is an important oil and gas producing basin in Argentina. Production started in 1918 and accumulated to 928 thousand cubic metres (5.84 million barrels) of oil equivalent in 2004, representing 45% of the oil production in Argentina and 61% of its gas production.[40] The basin is also important for unconventionals, with the Vaca Muerta and Los Molles formations being major shale gas producers.

Source rock formations are predominantly the Vaca Muerta, and to a lesser extent the Agrio and Los Molles Formations. Reservoir rocks comprise the Mulichinco and Chachao Formations. Deeper reservoirs are the Lotena and Barda Negra Formations.[41] Regional seal rocks are the evaporites of the Auquilco and Huitrín Formations, with local seals the Vaca Muerta, Agrio and Catriel Formations.[42]

Notes and references

Notes

Some authors include the Agua de la Piedra Formation within the Malargüe Group, others do not
Some authors include the Tordillo Formation within the Mendoza Group, others do not
Some authors include the Los Molles Formation within the Cuyo Group, others do not

References

"Cuenca Neuquina". Secretaría de Energía (in Spanish). Government of Argentina. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
Howell et al., 2005
Rojas et al., 2016
Ramos & Mahlburg Kay, 2006
Ponce et al., 2015, p.10
Mosquera & Ramos, 2006
Pángaro et al., 2009
Leanza, 2017, p.150
Onnis et al., 2018, p.38
Hoja Geológica 3969-II, 2007, p.6
Kramarz et al., 2005, p.276
Escosteguy & Franchi, 2010, p.425
Lebinson et al., 2018, p.252
Escosteguy & Franchi, 2010, p.426
Balgord, 2017, p.455
Escosteguy & Franchi, 2010, p.423
Náñez & Malumián, 2019, p.186
Escosteguy & Franchi, 2010, p.422
Kramarz et al., 2015, p.586
Agnolin & Chafrat, 2015
Escosteguy & Franchi, 2010, p.421
Wilf et al., 2005
Balgord & Carapa, 2014, p.6
Garrido, 2011, p.237
Garrido, 2011, p.236
Escosteguy & Franchi, 2010, p.420
Gómez Dacal et al., 2018, p.113
Ponce et al., 2015, p.16
Olivo et al., 2016, p.218
Voglino, 2017
Ponce et al., 2015, p.18
Iñigo et al., 2018
Ponce et al., 2015, p.27
Geologic Map, 2007, p.147
Mescua et al., 2013, p.105
Ponce et al., 2015, p.17
Zavala, 1993, p.74
Zavattieri & Mego, 2008, p.484
Geologic Map, 2007, p.144
Mendiberri et al., 2004, p.1
Ponce et al., 2015, p.28
Ponce et al., 2015, p.29

Bibliography

Geologic map

Rodríguez, María F.; Héctor A. Leanza, and Matías Salvarredy Aranguren. 2007. Hoja Geológica 3969-II, NEUQUÉN, provincias del Neuquén, Río Negro y La Pampa 1:250,000, 1–165. Instituto de Geología y Recursos Minerales. Accessed 2019-02-23.

General

Balgord, Elizabeth A. 2017. Triassic to Neogene evolution of the south-central Andean arc determined by detrital zircon U-Pb and Hf analysis of Neuquén Basin strata, central Argentina (34°S–40°S). Lithosphere 9. 453–462.
Balgord, Elizabeth A., and Barbara Carapa. 2014. Basin evolution of Upper Cretaceous–Lower Cenozoic strata in the Malargüe fold-and-thrust belt: northern Neuquen Basin, Argentina. Basin Research _. 1–24. Accessed 2019-02-22.
Escosteguy, Leonardo, and Mario Franchi. 2010. Estratigrafía de la región de Chapelco, Provincia del Neuquén. Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina 66. 418–429. Accessed 2018-09-10.
Garrido, Alberto C. 2011. El Grupo Neuquén (Cretácico Tardío) en la Cuenca Neuquina, 231–244. XVIII Congreso Geológico Argentino. Accessed 2019-02-23.
Gómez Dacal, Alejandro R.; Lucía E. Gómez Peral; Luis A. Spalletti; Alcides N. Sial; Aron Siccardi, and Daniel G. Poiré. 2018. First record of the Valanginian positive carbon isotope anomaly in the Mendoza shelf, Neuquén Basin, Argentina: palaeoclimatic implications. Andean Geology 45. 111–129. Accessed 2019-02-22.
Howell, John A.; Ernesto Schwartz; Luis A. Spalletti, and Gonzalo D. Veiga. 2005. The Neuquén Basin: An overview. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 252. 1–14. Accessed 2017-06-23.
Iñigo, Juan Francisco Pedro; Renzo Vargas; Eugenia Novara; Diego Martin Pereira, and Ernesto Schwarz. 2018. LA FORMACIÓN LOMA MONTOSA EN EL BORDE NORORIENTAL DE LA CUENCA NEUQUINA: ANÁLISIS SECUENCIAL, CARACTERIZACIÓN PALEOAMBIENTAL Y PROSPECTIVIDAD REMANENTE, 623–645. 10º Congreso de Exploración y Desarrollo de Hidrocarburos. Accessed 2019-02-23.
Leanza, H.A.; S. Apesteguia; F.E. Novas, and M.S. De la Fuente. 2004. Cretaceous terrestrial beds from the Neuquén Basin (Argentina) and their tetrapod assemblages. Cretaceous Research 25. 61–87. Accessed 2019-02-16.
Lebinson, Fernando; Martín Turienzo; Natalia Sánchez; Vanesa Araujo; María Celeste D'Annunzio, and Luis Dimieri. 2018. The structure of the northern Agrio fold and thrust belt (37°30’ S), Neuquén Basin, Argentina. Andean Geology 45. 249–273. Accessed 2019-02-22.
Mendiberri, Héctor O.; Adolfo E. Giusano, and Alex H. Valdéz. 2004. Cuenca Neuquína, reservas y recursos hidrocarburíferos, 1–9. _. Accessed 2018-09-06.
Mescua, José Francisco; Laura Beatriz Giambiagi, and Victor Alberto Ramos. 2013. Late Cretaceous Uplift in the Malargüe fold-and-thrust belt (35ºS), southern Central Andes of Argentina and Chile. Andean Geology 40. 102–116. Accessed 2019-02-22.
Mosquera, Alfonso, and Víctor A. Ramos. 2006. Intraplate Deformation in the Neuquén Embayment. Geological Society of America Special Papers 407. 97–123.
Náñez, Carolina, and Norberto Malumián. 2019. Foraminíferos miocenos en la cuenca Neuquina, Argentina: implicancias estratigráficas y paleoambientales. Andean Geology 46. 183–210. Accessed 2019-02-22.
Olivo, Mariano S.; Ernesto Schwartz, and Gonzalo D. Veiga. 2016. Modelo de acumulación y evolución secuencial del intervalo cuspidal de la Formación Quintuco en su área tipo: implicancias para las reconstrucciones paleogeográficas del margen austral de la Cuenca Neuquina durante el Valanginiano. Andean Geology 43. 215–239. Accessed 2019-02-22.
Ponce, Juan José; Aldo Omar Montagna, and Noelia Carmona. 2015. Geología de la Cuenca Neuquina y sus sistemas petroleros: una mirada integradora desde los afloramientos al subsuelo, 1–152. Fundación YPF & Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Accessed 2018-09-06.
Ramos, Víctor A., and Suzanne Mahlburg Kay. 2006. Evolution of an Andean Margin: A Tectonic and Magmatic View from the Andes to the Neuquén Basin (35–39°S lat). Special Paper of the Geological Society of America 407. 1–17. Accessed 2018-09-06.
Rojas Vera, Emilio Agustín; Darío L. Orts; Andrés Folguera; Gonzalo Zamora Valcarce; Germán Bottesi; Lucas Fennell; Francisco Chiachiarelli, and Víctor A. Ramos. 2016. The Transitional Zone Between the Southern Central and Northern Patagonian Andes (36–39°S) in Growth of the Southern Andes, ed. by Andrés Folguera, Maximiliano Naipauer, Lucía Sagripanti, Matías C. Ghiglione, Darío L. Orts, and Laura Giambiagi, 99–114. Springer. Accessed 2018-09-06. ISBN 978-3-319-23060-3

Mesozoic

Leanza, Héctor A. 2017. Las principales discordancias del Jurásico Superior y el Cretácico de la Cuenca Neuquina. Anales de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales 57. 147–155. Accessed 2018-09-06.
Ottone, Eduardo G. 2009. La flora cretácica de Cuenca Neuquina, su significado paleoambiental y paleoclimático. Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina 65. 373–386. Accessed 2018-09-08.
Pángaro, Francisco; Diego Martín Pereira, and Eduardo Micucci. 2009. El sinrift de la dorsal de Huincul, Cuenca Neuquina: evolución y control sobre la estratigrafía y estructura del área. Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina 65. _. Accessed 2017-06-23.
Voglino, Sergio. 2017. Caracterización del Miembro Pilmatué de la Formación Agrio como reservorio no convencional de tipo shale (MSc. thesis), 1–196. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Accessed 2019-02-23.
Zavala, Carlos Alberto. 1993. Estratigrafía y análisis de facies de la Formación Lajas (Jurásico medio) en el sector suroccidental de la Cuenca Neuquina, Provincia del Neuquén, República Argentina (PhD thesis), 1–254. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Accessed 2019-02-23.
Zavattieri, Ana María, and Natalia Mego. 2008. Registro palinológico de la Formación Paso Flores (Triásico Superior) sobre la margen sureste del Río Limay, Patagonia, Argentina. Ameghiniana 45. 483–502. Accessed 2019-02-23.

Vaca Mahuida Formation

Montalvo, C., and M. Bond. 1998. Un notoungulata de la Formación Vaca Mahuida (Eoceno), provincia de La Pampa, Argentina. Asociación Paleontológica Argentina, Publicación Especial 5. 55–60. Accessed 2019-02-15.

Ventana Formation

Petrulevicius, J.F., and Y.A. Popov. 2014. First fossil record of Discocephalinae (Insecta, Pentatomidae): a new genus from the middle Eocene of Río Pichileufú, Patagonia, Argentina. ZooKeys 422. 23–3. Accessed 2019-02-22.
Wilf, P.; K.R. Johnson; N.R. Cúneo; M.E. Smith; B.S. Singer, and M.A. Gandolfo. 2005. Eocene Plant Diversity at Laguna del Hunco and Río Pichileufú, Patagonia, Argentina. The American Naturalist 165. 634–650. Accessed 2019-02-22.

Chichinales Formation

Agnolin, Federico L., and Pablo Chafrat. 2015. New fossil bird remains from the Chichinales Formation (Early Miocene) of northern Patagonia, Argentina. Annales de Paléontologie 101. 87–94. Accessed 2019-02-13.
Kramarz, Alejandro Gustavo, and Ernesto Rodrigo Paz. 2013. Un Hegetotheriidae (Mammalia, Notoungulata) basal del Mioceno temprano de Patagonia. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas 30. 186–195. Accessed 2017-10-20.

Cerro Bandera Formation

Kramarz, Alejandro G.; Mariano Bond, and Michelle Arnal. 2015. Systematic description of three new mammals (Notoungulata and Rodentia) from the early Miocene Cerro Bandera Formation, northern Patagonia, Argentina. Ameghiniana 52. 585–597. Accessed 2019-02-13.
Kramarz, Alejandro; Alberto Garrido; Analía Forasiepi; Mariano Bond, and Claudia Tambussi. 2005. Estratigrafia y vertebrados (Aves y Mammalia) de la Formación Cerro Bandera, Mioceno Temprano de la Provincia del Neuquén, Argentina. Revista Geológica de Chile 32. 273–291. Accessed 2017-10-20.