| Vaca Muerta Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Tithonian-Berriasian ~ | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Mendoza Group |
| Underlies | Mulichinco Fm., Quintuco Fm., Picún Leufú Fm. |
| Overlies | Tordillo Formation |
| Thickness | 30–1,200 m (98–3,937 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. Huincul basement high is shown in grey. | |
The Vaca Muerta Formation, commonly known as Vaca Muerta (Spanish for Dead Cow), is a geologic formation of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous age, located in the Neuquén Basin in northern Patagonia, Argentina. It is well known as the host rock for major deposits of shale oil and shale gas.
The large oil discovery in the Vaca Muerta Formation was made in 2010 by the former Repsol-YPF.[1] The total proven reserves are around 927 million barrels (147.4×106 m3), [2] and as of 2014 YPF's production alone was nearly 45,000 barrels per day (7,200 m3/d).[3][4] In February 2012, Repsol YPF SA raised its estimate of oil reserves to 22.5 billion barrels (3.58×109 m3).[5][6] 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.[7] As of 2017, there were almost 500 fracking wells, one of the most fracked sites outside North America.[8]
In July 2013, protests were heavily repressed by the police. The huge water consumption of fracking as well as the sand mines interfere with agriculture. In 2018, the Mapuche sued Exxon, French company TotalEnergies and Pan American Energy for "dangerous waste" due to "deficient treatment" close to the town of Añelo as oily sludge residue from fracking was tipped in illegal waste dumps.
The formation is also known for its fossils, such as those of marine reptiles.
- ^ Krauss, Clifford (2011-07-04). "Argentina Hopes for a Big Payoff in Its Shale Oil Field Discovery". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
- ^ Canty, Daniel (2011-11-08). "Repsol hails largest ever 927 million bbl oil find". Arabian Oil and Gas. Retrieved 2011-12-26.
- ^ http://www.ypf.com/YPFHoy/YPFSalaPrensa/Paginas/Home.aspx, "YPF firmo un acuerdo con PETRONAS", 18.02.2014
- ^ Attwood, James (2014-12-16). "Shale Veteran Takes On Argentina's $6 Billion Shortfall". Bloomberg.
- ^ "Vacamuertashale.com". Retrieved 2012-04-13.
- ^ "Repsol YPF Mb50's "Liquid Mud" Blog". Retrieved 2012-04-13.
- ^ "Technically Recoverable Shale Oil and Shale Gas Resources: An Assessment of 137 Shale Formations in 41 Countries Outside the United States" (PDF). U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). June 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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