FOSSIL COMBUSTIBLES AND ELECTRICAL ENERGY:
It is called fossil fuels to hydrocarbons (oil and
gas) and coal. These resources were formed from organic matter from plants,
microorganisms, bacteria and algae, which through photosynthesis transformed
the electromagnetic energy of the sun into chemical energy. That organic
matter, accumulated hundreds of millions of years ago at the bottom of lakes or
seas with very little oxygen, was then covered by successive layers of
sediments. Thus, the earth's crust functioned as a great "geological
kitchen".
Biofuels:
The Province of Santa Fe, has the largest concentration of biodiesel plants
announced in the country to date, This is due to the large concentration of grain
milling that is also located in this area Fossil
fuels (particularly oil and gas) are the main source of energy that Argentina
uses to generate electricity and fuel. The country has several basins with
reservations.
Oil and gas reserves:
The reserves are those quantities of hydrocarbons that are expected to recover
from known accumulations and at a specific date.
In the Argentine Republic,19 sedimentary basins have been identified.
Five of these basins have continuity over the continental shelf, which have
provided hydrocarbons profitably: The Neuquén, San Jorge, Cuyana, Austral
(or Magallanes) and Northwest basins. The Neuquén basin and the
Golfo de San Jorge basin are the most important in the country, since they contain
75% of the total proven reserves in the country. The Neuquén basin
contributes 43% of the total Argentine oil production, while the Gulf of San Jorge
basin contributes 35%. While three others extend under the waters of the sea.
Carbon:
Coal is a
solid fossil fuel formed from organic matter of vegetable origin accumulated
under layers of sediments. This was transformed and gradually losing its
moisture to become a solid substance, with high carbon content and, therefore,
a high energy value. The carboniferous zones extend throughout the
pre-cordilleran zone and in parts in the cordilleran zone, mainly in the
provinces of Catamarca, La Rioja, San Juan, Mendoza, Neuquén, Río Negro,
Chubut and Santa Cruz. There are also known coal formations in Salta and Jujuy.
The Río Turbio deposit:
The most important coal deposit in Argentina is Río Turbio, in the
province of Santa Cruz. This deposit concentrates 99% of the country's coal
reserves. Until that moment, the production of the mine was destined to the
supply of the thermoelectric power plants located in Buenos Aires.
Hydrocarbons reserves map: