Chaco Basin Explained

Chaco Basin
Other Name:Cuenca Chaco, Cuenca Chaco Paranaense
Named For:Chaco
Pushpin Map:South America
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of the basin in South America
Pushpin Relief:1
Coordinates:-25°N -60°W
Location:Central South America
Region:Gran Chaco
 Paraná Basin
Country:

State:Chaco, Formosa
Chuquisaca, Santa Cruz, Tarija
Alto Paraguay, Boquerón
Cities:Filadelfia
Onoffshore:Onshore
Boundaries:Andes
Partof:Andean foreland basins
Rivers:Paraguay, Paraná
Basin Type:Foreland basin
Orogeny:Andean
Age:Paleozoic-Holocene
Stratigraphy:Stratigraphy

The Chaco Basin (Spanish; Castilian: Cuenca Chaco, Spanish; Castilian: Cuenca Chaco Paranaense or Spanish; Castilian: Cuenca Chaco-Paraná) is a major sedimentary basin in Central South America around the borders of Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. The basin forms part of the larger Paraná Basin. Superficially, the Chaco Basin is an alluvial basin composed of land-derived (in contrast to marine sediments) material, mostly fine sand and clays of Paleogene, Neogene and Quaternary age. On deeper levels the Paraguayan Chaco is made up by four sub-basins, the Pirizal, Pilar, Carandaity and Curupaity basins.[1] [2]

Stratigraphy

The basin is part of the megaregional Paraná Basin, of which it occupies its western portion. The basin is subdivided into the Western Chaco (Chaco Occidental) and Eastern Chaco (Chaco Oriental). The Paleozoic stratigraphy of the Chaco Basin comprises the Middle to Late Carboniferous Sachayoj Formation, the Late Carboniferous Charata Formation and the Early Permian Chacabuco Formation.[3] The Neogene cover contains the Late Miocene Paraná Formation,[4] the Late Pleistocene (Lujanian in the SALMA classification) Chaco Formation,[5] [6] also described as Eocene to Miocene,[7] and the substratum-forming Fortín Tres Pozos Formation in the Formosa Province of northern Argentina.[8] [9]

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Book: Zhang, Lei. https://www.onepetro.org/conference-paper/URTEC-1921799-MS. Geological Conditions of Tight Gas in Chaco Basin. Proceedings of the 2nd Unconventional Resources Technology Conference. 1 September 2018. American Association of Petroleum Geologists. 1 September 2018. 10.15530/URTEC-2014-1921799. 978-0-9912144-1-9.
  2. Web site: President Energy Finds Oil In Paraguay's Chaco Basin. Exploration & Production. 1 September 2018.
  3. http://www.criba.edu.ar/geolarg/cuenca_chaco_paranense_y_mesopot.htm Cuenca Chaco Paranense
  4. Brea et al., 2013, p.28
  5. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=144517 Quebrada Agua Blanca
  6. Mapa Geológico del Paraguay, 1986, p.42
  7. Filí, 2001, p.28
  8. Zurita et al., 2009, p.279
  9. Soibelzon et al., 2010, p.315