| San Jorge Gulf | |
|---|---|
| Location | Chubut Province Santa Cruz Province Argentina |
| Lake type | Ocean basin |
| Max. length | 148 km (92 mi) |
| Max. width | 244 km (152 mi) |
| Average depth | 85 m (279 ft) |
| Settlements | Comodoro Rivadavia Rada Tilly Caleta Olivia |
The San Jorge Gulf (Golfo San Jorge) is a bay in southern Patagonia, Argentina. It is an ocean basin that opens to the Atlantic ocean. Its shoreline spans Chubut and Santa Cruz province. The gulf measures approximately 142 miles (229 km) at its mouth and covers approximately 39 square kilometres (15 sq mi). It is located between Cape Dos Bahías and Cape Tres Puntas.
Due to its geography, more than 70% of the gulf's basin is between 70 metres (230 ft) and 100 metres (328 ft) deep. To the south it is about 50 metres (164 ft) 60 metres (197 ft) deep and in the north 90 metres (295 ft). The seabed consists of mud, sand, gravel, sand with carbonate, formed by bivalves and cirripedial remains.
The mean water temperature varies between 5.09 °C (41 °F) and 13.41 °C (56 °F); salinity is around 33000 ppm.
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Approximately 90% of Chubut Province's inhabitants live on the coast of the gulf. Comodoro Rivadavia and Caleta Olivia are two larger cities along the coast. Each have ports with oil buoys and fishing facilities.
The fishing towns of Camarones and the seaside resort Rada Tilly also lie along the gulf.
Comodoro Rivadavia is ranked within the national and international market as center of lobsters and spider crabs. Numerous fishing ports function along the bay, as well as wharves and marinas for sport fishing and related activities.
There is a metallurgy industry of very good quality along the bay, much of it related to oil exploration and extraction. A wind farm provides energy as a non-conventional resource. After these first stages of testing have been passed, the system will totally be integrated to the main network.
The petroleum industry is the most important activity along the bay, based on value; oil was discovered here in 1903, and the area remains the nation's second most significant source of oil. The city of Comodoro Rivadavia is the hub of these activities along the bay, including refinieris and other development and manufacturing facilities.
The typical shape of pumping equipment, commonly named “Pumpjack,” can be seen along much of the plateau of Patagonia. These wells productions supply a large percentage of the national consumption, which has hovered around half a million barrels daily since the 1970's.
The production of oil and gas in the San Jorge Gulf represents 5% of the area's economy. The region is also working on producing alternative energies such as eolic, energy based on hydrogen and a very incipient activity in the development of biofuel.
Wind power generation represents 16% of the energy supply that Comodoro Rivadavia requires. That is satisfied through 18 eolic generators located on Arenales Hill, 14 km (9 mi) away from Comodoro Rivadavia. The wind farm Antonio Morán is the largest in Argentina and the second one in South America.
The issues regarding hydrogen are being researched in the city of Pico Truncado, in Santa Cruz province, where there is an experimental center.[1]
Another area that is being researched is the production of biofuel from algae. The results of this works are expected in the long-term. The Energy Center develops projects related to renewable and no-renewable energies.
The coast of San Jorge Gulf marks the start of the ocean-to-ocean corridor, a 517 kilometres (321 mi) stretch of land that connects the city of Comodoro Rivadavia in Chubut, Argentina with Chacabuco Port in Chile. This connection is important for commerce and tourism.
Comodoro Rivadavia is an important city in the zone. It has some museums as The Oil Museum (linkear al artículo de General Mosconi), which is located in General Mosconi neighborhood, and the Astra Museum, located in Astra neighbourhood, about 20 kilometres away from the downtown.
Rada Tilly is a small town close to the city of Comodoro Rivadavia. Its most important sight is the beach and the variety of activities that you can do there, for example swimming, fishing, windsurfing and scuba diving or just spend some outdoor time at the beach.
There also is a little sea lion reservation, a place where you can see the families of sea lions.