South America's booming oil frontier
Countries across the continent are ramping up extraction, with Brazil, Argentina and Guyana leading the charge. These are some of the notable areas of exploration and production.
Exploration or production areas
Study or reserved areas
VENEZUELA
GUYANA
COLOMBIA
Amazon River
Belém
PERU
BRAZIL
Brasília
BOLIVIA
Rio de
Janeiro
PAR.
São Paulo
CHILE
ARGENTINA
URUGUAY
Santiago
Buenos
Aires
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific
Ocean
Stabroek plot
This 2015 oil discovery has transformed Guyana into the world’s fastest-expanding economy
Foz do Amazonas region
Brazil has given state-owned oil company Petrobras the greenlight for exploratory drilling part of this highly ecologically-sensitive area
Pre-salt region
More than 75% of Brazil’s oil production comes from reserves buried under thick layers of ancient salt
Pelotas Basin
Potential new oil frontier for Brazil and Uruguay
Vaca Muerta
Shale deposit in Argentina that could produce more than a million barrels of oil a day by 2030
Exploration or production areas
Study or reserved areas
VENEZUELA
GUYANA
COLOMBIA
Amazon River
Belém
PERU
BRAZIL
Brasília
BOLIVIA
Rio de
Janeiro
PAR.
São Paulo
CHILE
ARGENTINA
URUGUAY
Santiago
Buenos
Aires
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific
Ocean
Stabroek plot
This 2015 oil discovery has transformed Guyana into the world’s fastest-expanding economy
Foz do Amazonas region
Brazil has given state-owned oil company Petrobras the greenlight for exploratory drilling part of this highly ecologically-sensitive area
Pre-salt region
More than 75% of Brazil’s oil production comes from reserves buried under thick layers of ancient salt
Pelotas Basin
Potential new oil frontier for Brazil and Uruguay
Vaca Muerta
Shale deposit in Argentina that could produce more than a million barrels of oil a day by 2030
Exploration or production areas
Study or reserved areas
Stabroek plot
This 2015 oil discovery has transformed Guyana into the world’s fastest- expanding economy
Foz do Amazonas region
Brazil has given state-owned oil company Petrobras the greenlight for exploratory drilling in part of this highly ecologically-sensitive area
VENEZUELA
GUYANA
COLOMBIA
Amazon River
ECUADOR
Belém
Fortaleza
PERU
BRAZIL
Salvador
Brasília
BOLIVIA
Rio de
Janeiro
PARAGUAY
São Paulo
CHILE
Pre-salt region
Pacific Ocean
More than 75%
of Brazil’s oil production comes from reserves buried under thick layers of ancient salt
ARGENTINA
URUGUAY
Santiago
Buenos
Aires
Pelotas Basin
Vaca Muerta
Potential new oil frontier for Brazil and Uruguay
Shale deposit in Argentina that could produce more than a million barrels of oil a day by 2030
Atlantic Ocean
