The joint venture between CONICET and GEOMAP S.A. has developed a new state-of-the-art technology for geological modeling. It is called Andino 3D.
LA.TE. ANDES is a technology-based joint venture formed by GEOMAP S.A.—a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) from Salta dedicated to hydrocarbon exploration—and the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). Since 2014, it has focused on the development and implementation of strategic projects aimed at resolving sensitive issues related to georesources such as hydrocarbons, mineral deposits, and geothermal energy, among others.
Currently, La.Te Andes’ operational units are Cron.Ar, Cronología Argentina, dedicated to conducting thermochronological and geochronological analyses; fission track (U-Th-Sm)/He and U-Pb), Cri. Ar., Argentine Cryogenic Magnetometer, involved in the development of high-resolution paleomagnetic analyses; the E-learning unit, a virtual distance learning platform; and the recent addition of Andino 3D, a Structural Geological Modeling Software.
Andino 3D enables structural reconstructions, that is, analyzing and characterizing how rocks deform in an area or project of interest, making it possible to easily integrate all available surface and subsurface information into a three-dimensional environment.
“With more than 200 scientific and academic licenses distributed across 25 countries worldwide, 70 of which are used in institutions in Argentina, Andino 3D is experiencing continuous growth in both public and private demand. It has evolved into an R&D&I line expanding into the design and application of new tools and functionalities for users in both the industrial and academic sectors,” explains Roberto Hernández, president of LA.TE ANDES.
The software was developed by LA.TE. ANDES, in collaboration with YPF and CONICET, and its implementation was supported by the Trust Fund for the Promotion of the Software Industry (FONSOFT), part of the National Agency for the Promotion of Research, Technological Development, and Innovation (R&D&I Agency).
Andino 3D and its Global Impact
Due to demand from other countries and the growing use of Andino 3D in scientific and academic institutions, strategic partnership agreements have been established with the aim of formally institutionalizing the use of the software for both research and educational activities.
In this regard, on July 28, 2021, an agreement was signed with Texas A&M University in the United States.
This agreement seeks to foster exchange between the University’s students and researchers and the technical staff of LA.TE. ANDES as a way to streamline and enhance the use of the software, as well as to promote improvements and the possibility of developing additional tools.
“This particular agreement represents a historic milestone in the international recognition of Andino 3D by one of the world’s most important academic institutions,” emphasizes the president of LA.TE ANDES.
A technology company with an Argentine stamp
LA.TE. ANDES has established itself in the international scientific and productive sphere as an entity that generates high-quality data and interpretive solutions, as well as a developer of high-level technological products. Its specialties are certified under ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management System) and ISO 45001:2018 (Occupational Health and Safety), awarded by the German certification and inspection body TÜV Rheinland®.
In turn, the generation of impactful data for the hydrocarbons industry carried out by LA.TE ANDES, both nationally and internationally, has led to the production of numerous scientific presentations disseminated at conferences, workshops, and in indexed written publications.
The data generated at LA.TE. ANDES are incorporated qualitatively and quantitatively into the CONICET scientific community, enhancing national knowledge sovereignty and improving the standing of Argentine science in the international context.
“This technology center represents the collaborative symbiosis between the public and private knowledge sectors and the productive sector. LA.TE ANDES enabled its partner entities to scale up in the local and international markets. Furthermore, it reduced investment risk across broad energy-producing sectors and provided solutions to the scientific sector with the potential for a return on investment to fund further research,” Hernández concluded.