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The aim of this paper is to present an integrated onshore Bouguer gravity anomaly map of Uruguay and a correlation with geological data. The Bouguer map is composed by data of stations acquired from 1950 to 2014 by several institutions. Moreover, using this gravity map and the crustal model CRUST1.0 (validated comparing the grid with the Moho recognized in long offset and long record length PSDM seismic profiles), several crustal domains are recognized and characterized. A previous attempt to integrate geophysical and geological data is shown in Hallinan et al. (1993).

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Natural gas hydrates are crystalline solids formed by natural gas (mainly methane) and water that are stable under thermobaric conditions of high pressure and low temperature. Methane hydrate is found in polar areas of permafrost and in offshore basins of continental margins. These accumulations may represent an enormous source of methane. Based on global estimations of methane concentration in natural gas hydrates, the methane content may be several times greater than those of technically recoverable, conventional natural gas resources. In the continental margin of Uruguay, seismic evidence for the occurrence of gas hydrate is based on the presence of (bottom simulating reflectors) BSRs in 2D seismic reflection sections. Here we present results regarding gas hydrates and associated free gas distribution assessment offshore Uruguay, based on BSR mapping and applying a probabilistic approach. A mean value of 25,890 km2 for the area of occurrence shows a great potential for this nonconventional resource, encouraging further research.

From 2009, when the first offshore bidding round took place in Uruguay, and in particular from the second bidding round that constituted a enormous step in the exploratory history of Uruguay, our country faces a new and nontraditional hydrocarbons upstream activity. Government take, including the National Oil Company association in the case of a discovery, is already fixed under the Production Sharing Contracts in force and do not vary much with the field size. Therefore, a possible strategy to maximize the local revenues (income from Uruguayan services, products and human resources), which constitutes a key part for a sound distribution of petroleum revenues within the country, would be to increase the local content in the supply chain.Taking into consideration analogous geological basins, and the geological and technical probability of success for offshore Uruguay as a frontier basin, the field size and hydrocarbon potential was evaluated from a stochastic point of view. The cash flow analysis of a hypothetic oil development was carried out, incorporating the actual economic variables of the contracts in force offshore Uruguay, as well as the current fiscal regime. The standard project parameters, investments yardsticks and the government and contractor takes were calculated with the aim to obtain the Uruguayan rent and the relative impact of the local content.This work constitutes the first approach to the analysis of expenditures and investment during the current stage of exploration, and the eventual phases of appraisal, development and production offshore Uruguay. The technical and economic evaluation applied to a portfolio of offshore prospects models the level of expenditures and investment from exploration to production.The assessment of the potential impact of the activity on macroeconomic variables is carried out considering the local services and products that would be necessary for each stage, in order to identify the areas where increasing local content will provide the larger impact in the country economy.