South America San Jorge Basin Argentina (Arief)

Evolution of The San Jorge Basin, Argentina
M. G. Fitzgerald, R. M. Mitchum, JR, M. A. Uliana, and K. T. Biddle.

AAPG Bulletin v.74 No. 6 (June 1990). P.879-920.
Presented by
Moh. Arief Firmansyah

22001027
Lecturer:
Prof. DR. R.P. Koesoemadinata
Basin Overview
• Located in southern
Argentina
• recovery 4.0 billion brl oil
• Source rock and reservoir
 non marin and develop
in mid-plate setting with
oceanic influence.
San Jorge Basin • Reservoir quality is
commonly low (higlhly
tuffaceous sandstone)
Geological Setting
• The basin extended

over central part of
extra-Andean
Patagonia, from the
Somoncura massif to
the Deseado massif.
• Predominantly an
extensional basin
superimposed on early
Paleozoic (to late
proterozoic?)
continental crust.
• Structural complexity 
Structural segments
Structural Feature Map showing East Striking Normal Fault,
Northwest striking Normal Fault & North Trending Fold Belt
Sequences to Basin Phases
• Late Sag stage is marked by
Relationship increased basinwide stability, less
subsidence, and less facies
response to local condition
• Early Sag was much less

influenced by individual tilted fault
block.
• Late rifts phase deposits include

Aguada Bandera (lacustrine with
volcanic rocks as lith. component)
& Cerro Guadal (fluvial) are very
thick.
• The thickness are controlled by
northwest trending sub basins and
individual titled fault blocks.
• Early rifts phase deposits include

Lias (marine to nonmarine shales
and sandstone) and Lonco Trapial
(volcanic rocks) units.
• The Lias onlaps basement, is
confined to half graben, represent
oldest synrift deposit.
Tectonic History
Deformation and subsidence began while South America was still part
of Gondwana
Triassic-Early Jurassic : Early Extensional Event

• A series of grabens and half-grabens formed on the Deseado
massif.
• Trend to the northwest.
• This event may have coincided with:
– Karroo basins of southern Africa (Dingle et al, 1979).
– heralded the breakup of Gondwana.
Triassic-Early Jurassic : Early Extensional Event
A’ B’
Onshore seismic line showing half graben and extensional faulting
Offshore Seismic Line showing style of normal faulting

Tectonic History
Middle Jurassic – Early Cretaceous: Episode of Extension
• Culminated in formation of the Lonco Trapial volcanics rocks that

covers most of central and southern Patagonia.
• Trend west-striking fault.
• Normal faulting continued after volcanic rock deposition and
decreased into the Early Createceous.
• Most normal faulting ceased by the time oceanic crust began to
form in the South Atlantic (120-130 Ma).
• Rift system evolved into broad interior sag
– Early sag phase (Hauterivian – early aptian)
– Late sag phase (late aptian – Paleocene)
Tectonic History
Late Cretaceous – Early Tertiary : Extensional Episode.

• May be related to regional intraplate stress and
transtensional conditions tied to differential
counterclockwise rotation of South America strike-slip
displacement along zones aligned with the South Atlantic
transforms.
• Complex system of antithetic & syntethic faults
associated with basement involved
Late Cretaceous – Early Tertiary : Extensional
C
D
E
Late Cretaceous-Early Tertiary : Detached normal faults that
appear to curve and become parallel with shaly upper Jurassic –
Lower Cretaceous sedimentary strata.
C
Late Cretaceous-Early Tertiary : Complex system of antithetic and
syntethic faults associated with basement involved
D
Late Cretaceous-Early Tertiary : Detached normal fault with
associated small-displacement synthetic and antithetic faults
E
Tectonic History
Tertiary : Compressional
• Driven by subduction along the western margin of South
America.
• Result north-trending San Bernardo fold belt.
• Uplift caused partial erosion of sedimentary section in
the west and a gentle eastward tilt.
Tertiary : Compressional
F
Tertiary : High angle reverse faults and associated fold formed
along reactivated normal faults, San Bernardo fold belt.
F
Tertiary : Detached thrust fault, San Bernardo fold belt
G View of dip direction
View of strike direction

CONCLUSIONS
• The San Jorge basin is an extensional basin that began in the early
mesozoic, dominantly fluvial and lacustrine rocks that can be devided into:
– Early Rift Fill (Triassic – Middle Jurassic)
– Late Rift Fill (Upper Jurassic – Lowermost Cretaceous)
– Early Sag Fill (Lower Cretaceous)
– Late Sag Fill (Middle Cretaceous – Paleocene)
• The early rift fill (Lias) includes marine shale and lacustrine deposits and
lower cretaceous lacustrine could be potential source rocks.
• Reservoir properties are moderate to fair because of high content of
igneous detritus.
• Renewed extension in the Tertiary provided a pervasive fault network for
vertical hydrocarbon migration.
• Fault geometry and associated rollorovers and flexures form most traps.

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Evolution of The San Jorge Basin, Argentina

M. G. Fitzgerald, R. M. Mitchum, JR, M. A. Uliana, and K. T. Biddle.

Moh. Arief Firmansyah

• The basin extended

• Early Sag was much less

• Late rifts phase deposits include

• Early rifts phase deposits include

Triassic-Early Jurassic : Early Extensional Event

Offshore Seismic Line showing style of normal faulting

Middle Jurassic – Early Cretaceous: Episode of Extension

• Culminated in formation of the Lonco Trapial volcanics rocks that

Late Cretaceous – Early Tertiary : Extensional Episode.

G View of dip direction

View of strike direction

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