CGC Activates New Drilling Rig in Santa Cruz
Compañía General de Combustibles (CGC) commenced operations of the CGC-001 drilling rig at the Tres Picos deposit in Cañadón León, located in the Golfo San Jorge Basin, in Santa Cruz. Governor Claudio Vidal and Energy and Mining Minister Jaime Álvarez toured the operations alongside Hugo Eurnekian, president and CEO of the company, and José Lludgar, general secretary of the Union of Managerial and Professional Personnel of Oil and Gas in Private Patagonia Austral.
The rig deployment aligns with investment commitments established for the second subperiod 2025-2027, following the hydrocarbon concessions extension approved by the province. The program encompasses 31 new wells between 2026 and 2027: nine in 2026 and the remaining 22 in 2027.
The CGC-001 is a Helmerich & Payne Flex Rig 4M unit rated at 1,000 HP, capable of reaching depths of approximately 3,050 meters. It will remain operational on the northern flank and be used in conventional development projects. According to reports, its startup requires approximately 100 direct and indirect jobs associated with drilling and related services.
The unit features VFD electric drive, Top Drive system, 1,150 HP pumps, and an 11-inch, 3,000 psi BOP system. Its design enables transport in approximately 36 loads and assembly without cranes, features aimed at reducing mobilization times and time to operation.
The plan is linked to the ten-year extension of hydrocarbon concessions approved under Provincial Law No. 3771, enacted in December 2021. The original agreement had been signed with Sinopec Argentina Exploration and Production Inc., whose operations were subsequently acquired by CGC. The concessions have staggered expiration dates between 2035 and 2037.
The scheme covers the areas Cañadón León, Meseta Espinosa, Tres Picos, Las Heras, Piedra Clavada, Cañadón Seco, Cerro Wenceslao, El Cordón, Sur Piedra Clavada, and El Huemul-Koluel Kaike. The Santa Cruz Ministry of Energy and Mining oversees compliance with commitments corresponding to the period currently under execution.