COMPOSITE PANORAMIC

Patagonian oil landscape. Comodoro Rivadavia. Km. 3. Circa 1928.

Panoramic composed of two photographs, gelatin silver prints, total measurement: 16.3 x 46 cm / 6.41 x 18.11 in. The work presents a brief marginal oxidation. It is displayed framed.

In the first decades of oil exploitation in the vicinity of Comodoro Rivadavia, the sections tendered allowed exploration, and as we can see in this panoramic view of the first YPF field, there were numerous wells, planted in valleys and slopes of this arid zone of Chubut province. Rapid development and the need for labor led to the growth of camps that were soon organized communities, as we see in the center of the image, with the houses lined up, sheds and stills. At the top, on the slopes, to the left and more in the foreground stands a chalet, the home of the site administrator. Observe the harsh Patagonian wind, blowing from right to left and raising clouds of dust. No humans were registered by the camera, although several horses were.

The history of oil in Argentina began when the first hydrocarbon field appeared in Comodoro Rivadavia on December 13, 1907. By means of a decree the General Directorate of Petroleum Exploitation of Comodoro Rivadavia was created in 1910, with the aim of planning, controlling and managing the exploitation of energy wealth. Its first president was the engineer Luis Huergo. Fifteen years later, President Hipólito Yrigoyen founded Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales (YPF) and immediately, in addition to starting the exploration works, neighborhoods or camps began to be built for their employees, around the central space located at Km. 3, whose view panoramic view is seen in this composite image.

We do not want to fail to mention that these views bear a great resemblance to the production made in the same oil zone by the Austrian photographer Federico Kohlmann.

We thank Jorge Fiori for the information provided.