Pampetrol report finds Vaca Muerta formation absent in La Pampa

A technical study conducted by Pampetrol SAPEM has concluded that the Vaca Muerta unconventional formation is not present in the subsoil of La Pampa, Argentina. The report, titled ‘Geological characteristics, hydrocarbon development and distribution of the Vaca Muerta formation in the Neuquén Basin’, was authored by geologists Manuel Szelagowski and Matías Hirch.

The investigation analyzed 1,979 wells and geological records within the province and adjacent areas. The researchers found that while La Pampa is part of the Neuquén Basin, the Vaca Muerta formation—which can reach 600 meters in thickness in the basin's center—thins out progressively toward the east and disappears before reaching La Pampa's territory.

Data from the wells showed that approximately 60% reached the basin's basement, identified as the Choiyoi Group. In these records, the Quintuco formation appears directly above the Catriel formation, with no intermediate Vaca Muerta layer present. The province's current oil production is instead derived from the Quintuco, Centenario, Sierras Blancas, Tordillo, and Precuyo formations.