A milestone achieved after eight years’ hard work, reflecting sound technical decisions and applying innovation as well as an operational learning curve.

At Fortín de Piedra, we’ve hit a new milestone: 1,000 kilometers of cumulative drilling since we kicked off operations in 2017, a rare achievement in the industry. To give an idea of just how far that is, the distance is about the same as drawing a straight line from Buenos Aires all the way to Neuquén.

"The most important part of this achievement was the learning curve we followed,” says Ariel Ochoa, Vice President of Drilling and Completion. “It allowed us to gradually become more efficient and make better use of our resources, always working with a clear focus on productivity. We’ve built a name for ourselves, as what we’ve accomplished at Fortín is recognized across the industry, and that makes me proud. It’s always gratifying to have our work acknowledged by our peers.”

As with any major milestone, reaching this one took years of hard work and continuous development. Over the past eight years, every phase of operations has been fine-tuned, leading to impressive results. For instance, back in 2018, drilling a complete well took 40 days, while today it takes just 21. That’s nearly half the time.

Ochoa highlights the key factors that made reaching the 1,000 km of drilled wells possible. "First, Tecpetrol took the strategic decision to invest in technology," he explains. “And what’s just as important is that we have an outstanding team of people who are professionally top-notch and incredibly open to change. That mindset makes any transformation much smoother. It’s a privilege to work alongside this team.”

One of the key changes that drove this leap in efficiency was the shift to remote management of field tools through the Real Time Operation Center (RTOC), along with the use of artificial intelligence and predictive models to fine-tune parameters for each operation in real time. It was a major transformation, and one that wasn’t without its particular challenges. “Even though this model was already being used elsewhere in the world, it was new to Argentina,” recalls Ochoa. “There was some skepticism at first, but we got through it as a team. You can’t succeed without full commitment from the group.”

Another key aspect he brings up is how the people on the ground are working in addition to the coordination between more than 50 companies involved in the drilling. Progress takes place well by well, as each new set of data feeds improvements in the next round of drilling.