Investments of $250M
Pan American Energy (PAE) carried out a multimodal import of two modular polymer injection plants.
The operation, originating in France and with a final destination at the Cerro Dragón field in the San Jorge Gulf Basin in Chubut province, is part of the tertiary recovery (EOR – Enhanced Oil Recovery) plan the company announced in October 2025, which contemplates an investment of more than $250 million.
The units, technically known as polymer injection plants or polymer injection skids, are designed for the preparation, hydration and high-pressure pumping of polyacrylamide (HPAM) solutions into mature reservoirs.
Their objective is to improve the sweep efficiency of injected water, reduce fluid mobility and increase the recovery of remaining oil in conventional fields with decades of production history.
Technical details of the logistics operation
The import was executed under a strict project logistics approach, prioritizing three critical variables:
- Protection of the industrial schedule
- Comprehensive document control
- Capital expenditure (CAPEX) optimization
- The multimodal transport scheme included:
- Handling at origin and destination port terminals
- Rail transport of oversized cargo
- Final leg by heavy-duty trucks to the field
Among the main challenges during the journey were winter storms in France, which affected the loading sequence, and restricted operating windows at local terminals.
At the same time, sources said the delivery was aligned with the start of installation and commissioning, in line with PAE’s plan to inaugurate the first six of 17 new injection plants scheduled over the next 12 months.
There are currently around 20 similar facilities in the San Jorge Gulf Basin, of which only two are operated by PAE. With this development, the company will nearly double the region’s tertiary recovery capacity.
Strategic context in the San Jorge Gulf Basin
Cerro Dragón, one of the country’s longest-producing and most productive conventional assets, is facing the natural decline of mature reservoirs.
The incorporation of EOR technology through polymer injection is a proven tool to raise recovery factors above 30% to 40% in certain blocks, extending field life and optimizing reserves without the need for additional large-scale drilling.
From the perspective of International Logistic Solution (ILS), the company successfully completed the comprehensive coordination of multimodal project cargo logistics for the import. The high-complexity multimodal project cargo operation underscores the maturity of Patagonia’s logistics and energy ecosystem. In a context where terminal availability, seasonal weather conditions and the distance to remote fields are critical variables, executing without generating demurrage or cost overruns becomes a key competitive differentiator.
From a technical and economic standpoint, the case reinforces the role of ISO 9001-certified local suppliers such as ILS within the upstream value chain: they not only transport critical equipment, but also actively protect the industrial schedule and project profitability.
With these two plants en route to their final installation, PAE is consolidating its dual strategy at Cerro Dragón:
- Unconventional exploration, including its first shale well targeting the D-129 formation
- Intensive optimization of conventional production through EOR