This chapter will address the innovative and bold exploration approach that has led the French company Total and its Argentinean partner Tecpetrol to achieve what is one of the largest gas discoveries of the south Bolivian sub-Andean basin of the 2000–2010 decade.

This discovery, named Incahuasi, is the result of multidisciplinary teamwork covering a period of 4 years from the initial geological concept definition to the drilling and testing of the discovery well Incahuasi-X1.

The overall approach can be summarized as a combination of controlled risk decision making based on a regional geological knowledge and the development of new...