VARIACIONES DE FACIES DE LAS SECUENCIAS BASALES DE LA FORMACIÓN VACA MUERTA EN SU LOCALIDAD TIPO (SIERRA DE LA VACA MUERTA), CUENCA NEUQUINA

KIETZMANN, D.; AMBROSIO, A.; SURIANO, J.; ALONSO, S.; VENNARI, V.V.; AGUIRRE-URRETA, B.; DEPINE, G.; REPOL, D.

Mendoza

Congreso; IX° Congreso de Exploración y Desarrollo de Hidrocarburos; 2014

Instituto Argentino del Petróleo y del Gas

Facies variation in basal sequences of the Vaca Muerta Formation at its type locality (Sierra de laVaca Muerta), Neuquén Basin. The Vaca Muerta-Quintuco system (early Tithonian ? early Valanginian) is a broad shallowing-upward sedimentary cycle consisting of dark bituminous shales, marls, limestones, and sandstones, cropping out in the Neuquén Basin, west-central Argentina. This paper analyzes five sections of the three first depositional sequences in Sierra de la Vaca Muerta, Neuquén province. Detailed facies analysis allows differentiating five facies associations, representing basinal to shoreface facies of a mixed carbonate/siliciclastic shelf system (Lower Vaca Muerta Formation), and basinal to inner ramp facies of a homoclinal carbonate ramp system (Los Catutos Member), prograding northwestward from the southeastern margin of the basin. These results are useful as analogs in nearby areas, since the projections of shelf breaks mapped by Mitchum and Uliana end perpendicular to the area of study.