General enrique Mosconi, a town in Salta, Argentina

Geographic Location

Salta province is located in the northeast part of República Argentina, and it has contiguous 23 departments. General San Martín is one of the richest departments in natural resources. General San Martin consists of the following municipalities: Salvador Mazza, Aguaray, Tartagal, General Mosconi, General Ballivian and Embarcación. General Mosconi has one of the largest petroleum and gas fields. The city of General Enrique Mosconi is located in the northeast of República Argentina in Salta province. As we said before, General Mosconi is one of the six municipalities conforming General San Martin, and is located on Interstate Route 34 and 340 kilometers away from the capital of Salta. General San Martin’s area is 2758 square kilometers approximately, and it is located on the San Antonio Sub-Arederas Hills and conformed for valleys and flowing streams with 500 meters in altitude water level. General Enrique Mosconi shares land borders with part of town of Aguaray (to the north) and General Ballivian (to the south), and Tartagal City (to the East), and Rio Grande de Tarija in Bolivia (to the West). The latitude and longitude of General Enrique Mosconi are the following: Latitude: 22:39:51 S (-22.6642) Longitude: 63.46.490 (-63.7804)Climate The predominant climate is Sub-tropical. The rainfall intensity is 900 millimeters approximately between the months of December and March, while the annual average temperature is 30º C and the maximum temperature is 48º C in summer.   Hydrography The west borders areas of Mosconi are shared with the Río Tarija, which originates in Bolivia and flows into Bermejo River by Oran’s border.Rio Tarija ends in the Itau River in Bolivia, originating large channeled water and flows that beautify the natural wealth and create incredible scenic views. Río Seco flows south through General Mosconi and shares borders with Río Blanco and Bermejo to the southwest. Natural Resources General Enrique Mosconi has a broad natural resources wealth due to its extension and geographic location. This can be seen by observing the rivers, hills and the wild that are located in General Enrique Mosconi. Geologic studies determined that General Enrique Mosconi has one of the largest gas and petroleum fields in our country. The municipality of General E. Mosconi is characterized for the forestall activity, by exploiting the natural wealth of the forests and wild, for the gas and petroleum extraction and exploitation and for its agriculture activity due the large extensions of land and suitable and generous soils for the production (at a lower scale although). Next, there is a map from “Revista de la Fauna”(Fauna Magazine) and revised by the Argentine Fauna Foundation; It shows the distribution of different types of vegetation in the high basin of Bermejo River, the most important area of the Bosque of Yungas (Yungas Forest) in the provinces of Salta and Jujuy both located at the northeast of Argentina. The preceding map and the satellite image show the most important protected areas, Calilegua National Park (Jujuy) and Baritu (Salta) in Argentina and the Tarija Reserve in Bolivia. Precisely within these three conservation units, the specialists want to create a biological corridor with the sustainable usage of nature.

HISTORY

General Enrique Mosconi is one of the youngest populations in the province of Salta, its creation was launched by forestall and oil industry. 

The first activity developed was the forestall one exploited by Ciro Echesortu who was the person that acquired the land in a Public State Auction and owner of the ranch.  At the beginning, the population was named after Ciro Echesortu since he was the co-owner for the land (click here for more information in regard to forestall activity)   

The discovery of oil and gas fields was the origin of the petroleum industry and the Fiscal Oil Reservoir (YPF). 

With that being said, Mosconi started becoming urban. Mosconi has been the result of the hybrid culture interaction. Mosconi’s community started off with the first inhabitants that made a living of the forestall industry, the indigenous population who lived from hunting and fishing, locals and immigrants. The forestall activity and the discovery of oil in the country and in our area attracted some of the inhabitants.

The oil industry had its origins at the beginning the 1900’s when Carmela Santerbo discovered oil in the North of Argentina.  In 1907, Carmela Santerbo transferred his fields to Mr Francisco Tobar due to his sickness and scarcity of resources leading the samplings of “Quebrada of Galarza” (Vespucio Campsite) Standard Oil Company used to exploit that area as well, which entered in disputes with Tobar due to superposition of samplings; This was the reason for Tobar to joined “YPF”, and giving up the rights in September of 1927.

The first “YPF” well located in the north is the V-1 of República Argentina Field, which it was the denomination that took the Tobar’s sampling initiated on January 6 of 1928 and finalized on December 9 of 1928 reaching the 404 meters deep where the found the emergent layer of oil of 30 cubic meters/d of production.

The first campsite was named Vespucio with the beginning of the “YPF” building construction in the República Argentina Field.

In 1926 the habilitation of the train station takes place, which it baptized under the name of Americo Vespucio Station.Before then, General Mosconi was named “the 90” (for more information on the denomination of the Vespucio Station and the train station habilitation click on www.municipiomosconi.gov.ar/historia_12.php”). Nowadays, the station continues under the name of General Enrique Mosconi and it is a unique historic landmark.

The construction of the station was the result of the high activity that started developing in the oil industry.

The first company, Standard Oil Co, believed the need of a railway network or train network and a train station construction. The network is set after executives with English capitals made and application. The location of this railway network was strategic due its proximity to Tablillas, Lomitas and the Vespucio campsite.

The scarcity of petroleum extraction in Porcelana forced the Estandar Oil Company to move towards Tartagal and created the Tablillas Campsite.

The Standard Oil Company did not just stay there but kept investigating the possibility of exploiting in Lomitas.

Both Tablillas and Lomitas are located along the Aguarague mountain range.

The exploitation continued in Ramos and San Pedrito, being the last one located on the hilltop.

The Estandar Company declared this area productive as a result a great activity was developed in that place for decades.

In 1929  the Camp Vespucio Destilery was inaugurated. It was built based on the needs of Subproducts coming from the new reservoir which would be then sold to Tucuman, Salta y Jujuy. The first oil shipping was sent in tank cars to Santa Fe .

Later on, The Tranquitas Reservoir (YPF) was discovered on the hills of Aguarague, which were located south of the Lomitas Reservoirs. The productive layer was found at 93 meters deep in FM. At that time, Las peñas (no se lo q es) were called as “inferior arseniscas” due to being below the conglomerado called Galarza, which was called Dolomitico calcareum horizon at that time.

 

In April of 1932, due to the growing population on private lands, the owners initiated the respective lot division. The population was officially named Ciro Echosortu for being this the name the firm property owner. April 4th was considered the foundation day of the town.

In 1933 the development of República Argentina Mine finished with a total of 33 oil wells.

In 1947, the Standard Oil Company (SOC) ended the development of Lomitas. It drilled or perforated 95 wells in total.

Under the law # 779 dating from November 14th 1946 the following is set: “Create a third category and a first class township in the Department of Oran, in the Tartagal district with base on the town of Ciro Echesortu. Its jurisdiction will be …” and its limits will be the Aguaray Township at the north, Ballivan to the south, Tartagal to the east and Rio Grande de Tartija to the west.

Two years after the creation of the township (1948) and under the law number 947 the Department of San Martin is created. At the same time the Township of Ciro Echesortu change its name to General Enrique Mosconi.  The township limits are modified. Now General Enrique Mosconi will extend to Tarija River and city of Tartagal would be chosen as the capital of the Department.

That same year (1948) the development on Rios Pescado YPF is finished, 38 wells were perforated. At this time the reservoir exploitation were on decadence (Vespucio, Tranquitas and and Pescado River).

In 1951 the new reservoir Campo Duran is discovered with an inicial production of 300 square meters of petroleum and 840.000 cubic meters/ d of gas. Later perforations made it possible to calculate a reservoir of 8.400.000 cubic meters of petroleum. In August of 1985: 7.791.498 cubic meters of petroleum and 22.873.868 of gas were extracted.

Apart from the natural resources productions as gas and petroleum the township of general Enrique Mosconi develops the agricultural sector but at a lower scale due to the great extensions of land and nutritive soils. There was also an important wood production which continues to this day making use of and woods and rich tree areas.

The rich époque of the Vespucio campsite is now history. The privatization and deregulation imposed by the national government changed the way of life of the campsite which is now another neighbourhood of the township of General Enrique Mosconi.

After the privatization of “YPF”, plenty of service companies for the agro industrial production were created. These were formed by “YPF” former workers. It is important to highlight that a large services spectrum in the oil and construction sectors is offered in this area. There exist highly capacitated workers.

Mosconi’s name is in honor to General Engineer Enrique Mosconi who was the “YPF” actividades mentor in the 1920’s. Enrique Mosconi was the creator of he North Administration in the company which is was located at the Vespucio campsite and rapidly becoming the regional economy strategic center. The administration dissolved in 1992 to conform a new partnership along with private companies which adjudicated the areas.

History of the blueprints of General MosconiThe first blueprint of General Enrique Mosconi is from 1938 and it was designed by Civil Engineer Smith who used to work at the Bunge & Burn.There is a history in regard to the design of the beginning of the town of “Ciro Echesortu”. It is said that the Engineer Smith used to work for Rio De La Plata Company and inspired in the forming of La Plata in his design had used the planimetry for the town of Ciro Echesortu. Definitely, part of the history of the forming of Mosconi is found in the design of La Plata. That explains why Mosconi has similarity with La Plata’s design; therefore its surrounding streets to the main square that first took the name of Martinez Silva de Gurruchaga are conformed in a circular way and in rings.There is a document that should be declared as a historic heritage of Mosconi; This document shows the first design of the town “ Ciro Echesortu”. This document is an ad issued by the firm “Echesortu & Homes S.A. which offered pieces of land to everyone would wish to purchase. The advertising showed the design or blueprint of what it was known as the town of Ciro Echesortu. The advertising detailed the Main Square called Martina Silva de Gurruchaga Square, which it was planned as it is today, round. Then, the advertising would show the municipality, the police station by its side, the school in the other block and toward other sector the church. All these institutions as shown on the blueprints were located in front of the square and the main avenues started at the square with their respective names: General Rudesindo Alvarado Avenue, Coronel Jose de Moldes Avenue, Doctor Francisco de Gurruchaga Avenue, Caseano Casas Avenue.Also, the first ring was named Jose Felix Uriburu. Another characteristic was the denomination of the streets, which were designed with numbers and letters. For example: Street number 4-0 or Street number -8-0- or Street number 8-E and so on. The town was surrounded by General Martin Miguel de Guemes Avenue. The station and the cemetery were located as well.It is important to highlight that the first communities of Mosconi were in the mayority what it was called Camps, but in the reality, they were houses that conformed populations with a high number of inhabitants.