San Jorge steps up S. American exploration
![San Jorge's Bolivian Block [39,762 bytes]](http://images.pennwellnet.com/ogj/images/ogj2/9550jnsj.gif){kind=link}
The company and three joint venture partners announced an oil find in Argentina last month. Meanwhile, San Jorge and another Argentine firm signed a contract with Bolivia on a block they won in 1997.
Argentina find
San Jorge found what it calls "an important new oil accumulation" on the R!o Negro Norte, or CNQ-27, block in Argentina's Neuquén basin.The group comprises operator San Jorge 37.5%, YPF SA 35%, International Finance Corp. 15%, and Metro Holding 12.5%.
The discovery well, Loma Negra x-1, is about 30 km northwest of General Roca, in the central part of the country (see map). On test, the well flowed 450 b/d of oil from pre-Cuyo formation, 1,350 b/d from Las Lajas, and 2,600 b/d from Punta Rosada, at depths of 2,500-3,200 m.
"This marks the first time that commercial quantities of oil have been produced from the pre-Cuyo section in this part of the basin," said San Jorge.
In the 2 weeks following the discovery, Loma Negra x-1 produced an average of about 1,350 b/d of oil from Punta Rosada, the shallowest of the three units.
Bolivian block
A combine of San Jorge and Tecpetrol SA, Buenos Aires, won Bolivia's Ipati block in a bidding round in August.The 246,000 acre block is in the Santa Cruz area in the Subandine basin (see map [57,874 bytes]).
![(see map [57,874 bytes])](http://images.pennwellnet.com/ogj/images/ogj2/9549jnsa.gif){kind=link}
The companies signed a contract on the block last month and plan to shoot 200 km of 2D seismic and drill four wells during 1998-2000.
Tecpetrol is operator in the 50-50 joint venture.
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