Key Tools for Black Shale Evaluation: Geostatistics and Inorganic Geochemistry Applied to Vaca Muerta Formation, Neuquen Basin, Argentina*

The assessment of hydrocarbons in black shales is a new challenge for oil and gas exploration. The detection of hydrocarbon generation potential in black shales and the existence of potential reservoir zones within them, are key features that conventional well logs fail to adequately define. We present a method that allows the integration of chemical data (rapid hand held X-Ray Fluorescence analysis) of cutting, well logs and seismic attributes using Geostistiscal Simulation algorithms.