Changes

===Organic Geochemistry===

===Organic Geochemistry===

The organic material of Vaca Muerta, homogeneous in its composition within the basin, consists of amorphous material of aquatic marine origin, with scarce-to-null terrestrial contributions, and denotes excellent oil-prone quality. A century of activity of the O&G industry in the Neuquén Basin provided an extended database of tens of thousands of samples from cuttings, cores, sidewall cores, and outcrops of the Vaca Muerta Formation, from the entire basin. The evaluation of this data set identified six areas with different hydrocarbon potential ([[:file:M125-VacaMuerta-Figure14.jpeg|Figure 14]]). The areas broadly overlap with the morpho-structural domains ([[:file:M125-VacaMuerta-Figure8.jpeg|Figures 8]], [[file:M125-VacaMuerta-Figure12.jpeg|12]]). The main resources encompassing high-quality low-sulfur oils and gas condensates are in the Embayment area, where stratigraphic units with high TOC are thick. The gases produced in other areas show a thermogenic marine origin (type II kerogen), with a lower contribution of biogenic methane<ref name=Brssn2020>Brisson, I. E., M. E. Fasola, and H. J. Villar, 2020, [https://archives.datapages.com/data/specpubs/memoir121/data/297_aapg-sp2120297.htm Organic geochemical patterns of the Vaca Muerta Formation], in D. Minisini, M. Fantín, I. Lanusse Noguera, and H. A. Leanza, eds., Integrated geology of unconventionals: The case of the Vaca Muerta play, Argentina: [https://archives.datapages.com/data/alt-browse/aapg-special-volumes/m121.htm AAPG Memoir 121], p. 297–328.</ref> (1%–10%).

The organic material of Vaca Muerta, homogeneous in its composition within the basin, consists of amorphous material of aquatic marine origin, with scarce-to-null terrestrial contributions, and denotes excellent oil-prone quality. A century of activity of the O&G industry in the Neuquén Basin provided an extended database of tens of thousands of samples from cuttings, cores, sidewall cores, and outcrops of the Vaca Muerta Formation, from the entire basin. The evaluation of this data set identified six areas with different hydrocarbon potential ([[:file:M125-VacaMuerta-Figure14.jpeg|Figure 14]]). The areas broadly overlap with the morpho-structural domains ([[:file:M125-VacaMuerta-Figure8.jpeg|Figures 8]], [[:file:M125-VacaMuerta-Figure12.jpeg|12]]). The main resources encompassing high-quality low-sulfur oils and gas condensates are in the Embayment area, where stratigraphic units with high TOC are thick. The gases produced in other areas show a thermogenic marine origin (type II kerogen), with a lower contribution of biogenic methane<ref name=Brssn2020>Brisson, I. E., M. E. Fasola, and H. J. Villar, 2020, [https://archives.datapages.com/data/specpubs/memoir121/data/297_aapg-sp2120297.htm Organic geochemical patterns of the Vaca Muerta Formation], in D. Minisini, M. Fantín, I. Lanusse Noguera, and H. A. Leanza, eds., Integrated geology of unconventionals: The case of the Vaca Muerta play, Argentina: [https://archives.datapages.com/data/alt-browse/aapg-special-volumes/m121.htm AAPG Memoir 121], p. 297–328.</ref> (1%–10%).

[[file:M125-VacaMuerta-Figure14.jpeg|center|framed|{{figure number|14}}Regional maps and geochemical values of TOC, HI, S1/TOC along the stratigraphy of the Vaca Muerta Formation (each color relates to a specific area). Ma = Malargüe; ChL = Chihuido-Lomita; Em = Embayment; HA = Huincul Arch; PL = Picún Leufú; NEP = Northeastern Platform. Note the red line with triangles indicating the location of the thrust front on the surface (rather than in subsurface). TR = transformation ratio from HI variation (from Brisson et al.<ref name=Brssn2020 />).]]

[[file:M125-VacaMuerta-Figure14.jpeg|center|framed|{{figure number|14}}Regional maps and geochemical values of TOC, HI, S1/TOC along the stratigraphy of the Vaca Muerta Formation (each color relates to a specific area). Ma = Malargüe; ChL = Chihuido-Lomita; Em = Embayment; HA = Huincul Arch; PL = Picún Leufú; NEP = Northeastern Platform. Note the red line with triangles indicating the location of the thrust front on the surface (rather than in subsurface). TR = transformation ratio from HI variation (from Brisson et al.<ref name=Brssn2020 />).]]