They were looking for drinking water in the yard of a school in Neuquén and found oil.

In an area with no history of hydrocarbon exploration, neighbors and local authorities were surprised to discover the unexpected: a thick and black liquid emerged from a well that had been intended to obtain drinking water.

The incident occurred in the yard of School 122 in Bajada Los Molles, in Villa Puente Picún Leufú, in the province of Neuquén, and quickly caused a stir among the inhabitants of the rural area, according to the LMN portal.

The images began to spread rapidly on social media, showing the outbreak of a dark and dense fluid that, due to its appearance and smell, many identified as possible oil. The scene was recorded a few meters from the educational establishment, where a contracted company was carrying out drilling work.

In this context, the president of the local development commission, Ramón Cuevas, explained in statements to the media that a request had previously been submitted to the Ministry of Human Development, Local Governments, and Women, both provincial and local, to carry out three drillings to extract water.

After receiving the necessary authorization and funds, a company from Zapala was hired, which conducted the technical studies and decided to start the first drilling in the Bajada Los Molles area, near the school.

According to Cuevas himself, on February 11, he approached the site to verify the progress, and it was then that the head of the company, with experience in hydrocarbon drilling, informed him that oil was emerging from the well.

At that moment, they took photographs to document the finding, but the next day, during the continuation of the work, first a burst of sand emerged and then a jet of oil, which forced them to immediately interrupt the tasks.

The incident was immediately reported to the Ministry of Energy, which intervened to carry out the corresponding procedures. The appearance of the hydrocarbon at just 72 feet (22 meters) deep surprised everyone: "It's very shallow and a large amount came out," Cuevas stated.

The drilling in question is located about 164 feet (50 meters) from the school and its objective was to supply drinking water to the educational establishment and about 20 families in the locality. However, the work was suspended pending the results of the analyses.

"The well is not sealed and they are evaluating what measures to take," another member of the commission explained to the local media. He also indicated that the laboratory results had not yet arrived, despite being requested in February. Therefore, they are awaiting a prompt decision on the product found.

Although the Ministry of Energy did not officially confirm the presence of hydrocarbons, the Environment area informed the commission that it was oil.