Golfo San Jorge Basin

The Golfo San Jorge Basin (Spanish: Cuenca del Golfo San Jorge) is a hydrocarbon-rich sedimentary basin located in eastern Patagonia, Argentina. The basin covers the entire San Jorge Gulf and an inland area west of it, having one half located in Santa Cruz Province and the other in Chubut Province. The northern boundary of the basin is the North Patagonian Massif while the Deseado Massif forms the southern boundary of the basin. The basin has largely developed under condition of extensional tectonics, including rifting.^[1]

Golfo San Jorge Basin
Cuenca del Golfo San Jorge
Oil well near the port city of Comodoro Rivadavia
Location of the basin in Argentina
Coordinates	45°00′S 67°50′W / 45.000°S 67.833°W / -45.000; -67.833
Etymology	San Jorge Gulf
Location	Southern South America
Region	Patagonia
Country	Argentina
State(s)	Chubut, Santa Cruz
Cities	Comodoro Rivadavia
Characteristics
On/Offshore	Both
Boundaries	North Patagonian Massif, Deseado Massif, Andes
Part of	Southern Atlantic rift basins
Area	170,000 km^2 (66,000 sq mi)
Hydrology
Sea(s)	South Atlantic
River(s)	Chico River
Lake(s)	Lake Musters and Lake Colhué Huapí
Geology
Basin type	Rift
Plate	South American
Orogeny	Opening of the South Atlantic
Age	Early Jurassic-Pleistocene
Stratigraphy	Stratigraphy
Field(s)	Cañadón León, Cerro Dragón, Diadema, El Tordillo

Photograph of the first oil well in Comodoro Rivadavia

The basin is of paleontological significance as it hosts six out of 22 defining formations for the SALMA classification, the geochronology for the Cenozoic used in South America.

At the center of the basin accumulated sediments reach more than 8,000 metres (26,000 ft) of thickness. Oil was first discovered in 1907 and over the years it has become the second most productive hydrocarbon basin in Argentina after Neuquén Basin.^[1]

Stratigraphy

The stratigraphy of the Golfo San Jorge Basin covers the following units:^[1][2][3]

Unit		Age bold is SALMA type	Tectonic regime	Depositional environment	Thickness (m)	Petroleum geology
Tehuelche Shingle		Pleistocene		Glacio-fluvial	40
Río Mayo		Mayoan
Santa Cruz		Santacrucian		Fluvio-deltaic	200
Patagonia				Shallow marine	280
Sarmiento  Colhué Huapí Mb. Chenque		Colhuehuapian		Fluvio-lacustrine	120
		Deseadan
		Tinguirirican
Río Chico	Koluel Kaike	Divisaderan		Lacustrine	42
		Mustersan
	Casamayor Las Flores	Casamayoran		Fluvio-lacustrine	44
	Peñas Coloradas	Riochican		Fluvial	42
		Itaboraian
	Las Violetas	Peligran			25
Salamanca		Peligran		Shallow marine-deltaic-fluvial	200	Petroleum reservoir
		Tiupampan
Lago Colhué Huapí		Maastrichtian Campanian		Fluvial
Yacimiento El Trébol Meseta Espinosa Bajo Barreal Laguna Palacios		Santonian Aptian	Late sag	Deltaic Fluvio-lacustrine	4000+
Cañadón Seco Comodoro Rivadavia Bajo Barreal				Alluvial-fluvial-lacustrine
Mina El Carmen Castillo				Fluvio-lacustrine
Pozo D-129 Matasiete			Early sag		1500+	Source rock and petroleum reservoir
Pozo Cerro Guadal		Neocomian	Late rift	Fluvio-lacustrine	560
Pozo Anticlinal Aguada Bandera				Lacustrine	1700+	Source rock
Bahía Laura Lonco Trapial	Cerro Carnerero	Mid-Late Jurassic	Early rift	Volcaniclastic	1300+
		Early Jurassic	Pre-rift	Shallow marine	700+
Basement		Paleozoic

See also

• Cañadón Asfalto Basin
• Magallanes Basin
• South American land mammal ages

References

1. Sylwan, Caudio A. (2001). "Geology of the Golfo San Jorge Basin, Argentina". Journal of Iberian Geology. 27: 123–157. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
2. Raigemborn et al., 2010, p.243
3. Cortés, 1986, p.49

Bibliography

General

• Cortés, José María. 1986. Estratigrafía y tectónica de la región central de la Provincia de Chubut, República Argentina (PhD thesis), 1–242.Universidad de Buenos Aires. Accessed 2019-02-16..

Cretaceous

• Casal, Gabriel A.; Ruben D. Martínez; Marcelo Luna, and Lucio M. Ibiricu. 2016. Ordenamiento y caracterización faunística del Cretácico Superior del Grupo Chubut, Cuenca del Golfo San Jorge, Argentina. Revista Brasileira de Paleontologia 19. 53–70. Accessed 2019-02-16.
• Casal, Gabriel A.; José O. Allard, and Nicolás Foix. 2015. Análisis estratigráfico y paleontológico del Cretácico Superior en la Cuenca del Golfo San Jorge: Nueva unidad litoestratigráfica para el Grupo Chubut. Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina 72. 77–95. Accessed 2019-02-16.

Paleogene

Andesitas Huancache Formation

• Goin, Francisco J.; Marcelo F. Tejedor; Laura Chornogubsky; Guillermo M. López; Javier N. Gelfo; Mariano Bond; Michael O. Woodburne; Yamila Gurovich, and Marcelo Reguero. 2012. Persistence of a Mesozoic, non-therian mammalian lineage (Gondwanatheria) in the mid-Paleogene of Patagonia. Naturwissenschaften 99(6). 449–463. Accessed 2019-02-15.
• Tejedor, Marcelo F. et al. 2009. New Early Eocene Mammalian Fauna from Western Patagonia, Argentina. American Museum Novitates 3638. 1–43. Accessed 2018-09-11.

Bororó Formation

• Scarfati, L.; D.L. Melendi, and W. Volkheimer. 2009. A Danian subtropical lacustrine palynobiota from South America (Bororó Formation, San Jorge Basin, Patagonia - Argentina). Geologica Acta 7. 35–61. Accessed 2018-09-10.

Casamayor Formation

• Raigemborn, María Sol; Javier M. Krause; Eduardo Bellosi, and Sergio D. Matheos. 2010. Redefinición estratigráfica del Grupo Río Chico (Paleógeno Superior), en el norte de la Cuenca del Golfo San Jorge, Chubut. Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina 67. 239–256. Accessed 2017-10-18.
• Raigemborn, María Sol. 2008. Estudio estratigráfico, sedimentológico y composicional de las sedimentitas del Terciário inferior (Grupo Rio Chico) en el sector sudoriental del Chubut Extraandino (PhD thesis), 11–58.Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Accessed 2017-10-18..

Las Flores Formation

• Goin, F. J.; A.M. Candela; M.A. Abello, and E.V. Oliveira. 2009. Earliest South American paucituberculatans and their significance in the understanding of ‘pseudodiprotodont’ marsupial radiations. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 155. 867–884. Accessed 2019-02-15.
• Raigemborn, María Sol; Javier M. Krause; Eduardo Bellosi, and Sergio D. Matheos. 2010. Redefinición estratigráfica del Grupo Río Chico (Paleógeno Superior), en el norte de la Cuenca del Golfo San Jorge, Chubut. Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina 67. 239–256. Accessed 2017-10-18.
• Ugalde, Raúl; Enrique Bostelmann, and José Luis Oyarzún. 2013. Stratigraphic review of the Las Flores Formation, Sierra Baguales, Última Esperanza Province, Magallanes, 355–358.GeoSur Conference IV Viña del Mar. Accessed 2019-02-11..

Koluel Kaike Formation

• Raigemborn, María Sol; Javier M. Krause; Eduardo Bellosi, and Sergio D. Matheos. 2010. Redefinición estratigráfica del Grupo Río Chico (Paleógeno inferior), en el norte de la Cuenca del Golfo San Jorge, Chubut. Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina 67. 239–256. Accessed 2017-08-15.

Peñas Coloradas Formation

• Clyde, William C.; Peter Wilf; Ari Iglesias; Rudy L. Slingerland; Peter K. Bijl; Timothy J. Bralower; Henk Brinkhuis; Emily Comer, and Brian T. Huber, Mauricio Ibañez Mejia, Brian R. Jicha, J. Marcelo Krause, Jonathan D. Schueth, Bradley S. Singer, María Sol Raigemborn, Mark D. Schmitz, Appy Sluijs, and María del Carmen Zamaloa. 2014. New age constraints for the Salamanca Formation and lower Río Chico Group in the western San Jorge Basin, Patagonia, Argentina: Implications for Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction recovery and land mammal age correlations. GSA Bulletin 126. 289–306. Accessed 2017-08-15.
• Raigemborn, María Sol; Javier M. Krause; Eduardo Bellosi, and Sergio D. Matheos. 2010. Redefinición estratigráfica del Grupo Río Chico (Paleógeno inferior), en el norte de la Cuenca del Golfo San Jorge, Chubut. Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina 67. 239–256. Accessed 2017-08-15.

Río Chico Group

• Raigemborn, María Sol; Javier M. Krause; Eduardo Bellosi, and Sergio D. Matheos. 2010. Redefinición estratigráfica del Grupo Río Chico (Paleógeno inferior), en el norte de la Cuenca del Golfo San Jorge, Chubut. Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina 67. 239–256. Accessed 2018-09-04.

Salamanca Formation

• Apesteguia, Sebastián; Raúl O. Gómez, and Guillermo W. Rougier. 2014. The youngest South American rhynchocephalian, a survivor of the K/Pg extinction. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 281. 20140811.
• Bonaparte, J.F., and J. Morales. 1997. Un primitico Notonychopidae (Litopterna) del paleoceno inferior de Punta Peligro, Chubut, Argentina. Estudios Geológicos 53. 263–274. Accessed 2018-10-01.
• Clyde, William C.; Peter Wilf; Ari Iglesias; Rudy L. Slingerland; Timothy Barnum; Peter K. Bijl; Timothy J. Bralower; Henk Brinkhuis, and Emily E. Comer, Brian T. Huber, Mauricio Ibañez Mejia, Brian R. Jicha, J. Marcelo Krause, Jonathan D. Schueth, Bradley S. Singer, María Sol Raigemborn, Mark D. Schmitz, Appy Sluijs, María del Carmen Zamaloa. 2014. New age constraints for the Salamanca Formation and lower Río Chico Group in the western San Jorge Basin, Patagonia, Argentina: Implications for Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction recovery and land mammal age correlations. GSA Bulletin 126. 289–306. Accessed 2017-08-15.
• Jud, Nathan A.; Maria A. Gandolfo; Ari Iglesias, and Peter Wilf. 2017. Flowering after disaster: Early Danian buckthorn (Rhamnaceae) flowers and leaves from Patagonia. PLOS ONE 12. e0176164. Accessed 2019-02-14.
• Ruiz, Daniela P.; Mariana Brea; M. Sol Raigemborn, and Sergio D. Matheos. 2017. Conifer woods from the Salamanca Formation (early Paleocene), Central Patagonia, Argentina: Paleoenvironmental implications. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 76. 427–445. Accessed 2019-02-14.

Neogene

Río Mayo Formation

• Ecosteguy, Leonardo; Carlos Dal Molín; Mario Franchi; Silvena Guena; Omar Lapido, and Adolfo Genini. 2003. Hoja Geológica 4772-II Lago Buenos Aires, 1–80.Instituto de Geología y Recursos Minerales, Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino. Accessed 2018-09-10..

Sarmiento Formation & Colhué Huapí Member

• Acosta Hospitaleche, Carolina, and Claudia Tambussi. 2005. Phorusrhacidae Psilopterinae (Aves) en la Formación Sarmiento de la localidad de Gran Hondonada (Eoceno Superior), Patagonia, Argentina [Phorusrhacidae Psilopterinae (Birds) in the Sarmiento Formation from the Gran Hondonada locality (Upper Eocene), Patagonia, Argentina]. Revista Española de Paleontología 20. 127–132. Accessed 2018-09-10.
• Arnal, Michelle; Alejandro G. Kramarz; M. Guiomar Vucetich, and E. Carolina Vieytes. 2014. A new early Miocene octodontoid rodent (Hystricognathi, Caviomorpha) from Patagonia (Argentina) and a reassessment of the early evolution of Octodontoidea. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34(2). 397–406. Accessed 2019-02-12.
• Cheme Arriaga, Lucas; María Teresa Dozo, and Javier N. Gelfo. 2016. A new Cramaucheniinae (Litopterna, Macraucheniidae) from the early Miocene of Patagonia, Argentina. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 36(6). e1229672. Accessed 2019-02-12.
• Dozo, María Teresa; Martín Ciancio; Pablo Bouza, and Gastón Martínez. 2014. Nueva asociación de mamíferos del Paleógeno en el este de la Patagonia (provincia de Chubut, Argentina): implicancias biocronológicas y paleobiogeográficas. Andean Geology 41. 224–247. Accessed 2017-08-15.
• Pérez, María Encarnación; Marcelo Krause, and María Guiomar Vucetich. 2012. A new species of Chubutomys (Rodentia, Hystricognathi) from the late Oligocene of Patagonia and its implications on the early evolutionary history of Cavioidea sensu stricto. Geobios 45(6). 573–580. Accessed 2019-02-15.
• Shockey, Bruce J.; John J. Flynn; Darin A. Croft; Phillip Gans, and André R. Wyss. 2012. New leontiniid Notoungulata (Mammalia) from Chile and Argentina : comparative anatomy, character analysis, and phylogenetic hypotheses. American Museum Novitates 3737. 1–64. Accessed 2019-02-15.
• Sterli, Juliana; Marcelo S. De la Fuente, and J. Marcelo Krause. 2015. A new turtle from the Palaeogene of Patagonia (Argentina) sheds new light on the diversity and evolution of the bizarre clade of horned turtles (Meiolaniidae, Testudinata). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 174(3). 519–548. Accessed 2019-02-13.
• Vucetich, M.G.; M.T. Dozo; M. Arnal, and M.E. Pérez. 2015. New rodents (Mammalia) from the late Oligocene of Cabeza Blanca (Chubut) and the first rodent radiation in Patagonia. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology 27(2). 236–257. Accessed 2019-02-13.
• Vucetich, María G.; María E. Pérez; Martín R. Ciancio; Alfredo A. Carlini; Richard H. Madden, and Matthew J. Kohn. 2014. A new acaremyid rodent (Caviomorpha, Octodontoidea) from Scarritt Pocket, Deseadan (late Oligocene) of Patagonia (Argentina). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34(3). 689–698. Accessed 2019-02-12.
• Wyss, André R.; John J. Flynn, and Darin A. Croft. 2018. New Paleogene notohippids and leontiniids (Toxodontia; Notoungulata; Mammalia) from the Early Oligocene Tinguiririca Fauna of the Andean Main Range, central Chile. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 3903. 1–42. Accessed 2019-02-11.

Further reading

• Bally, A.W., and S. Snelson. 1980. Realms of subsidenceCanadian Society for Petroleum Geology Memoir 6. 9–94.
• Kingston, D.R.; C.P. Dishroon, and P.A. Williams. 1983. Global Basin Classification System. AAPG Bulletin 67. 2175–2193. Accessed 2017-06-23.
• Klemme, H.D. 1980. Petroleum Basins - Classifications and Characteristics. Journal of Petroleum Geology 3. 187–207. Accessed 2017-06-23.