With unconventional oil growing at an annual rate of 31% and gas keeping pace in the flagship basin, Argentina is sending a clear signal to international markets: the country has a world-class shale play.
The agreement marks the formal start of a strategic relationship between the two companies, aimed at boosting DAPSA’s growth through the marketing of Chevron commodities in the region. The parties will also evaluate additional areas of business integration, including the expansion of DAPSA’s supply logistics.
The company plans to carry out detailed mapping, sampling, trenching, and geophysical surveys in preparation for a drilling program scheduled for the second half of 2026.
The pipeline will be 209 km long, linking the northern area of the Neuquén Basin with the pumping station in Allen, Río Negro. The project will expand the transport system’s capacity from 20,400 to 55,400 cubic meters per day and will connect to the Vaca Muerta Oil Sur (VMOS) system.
Silver prices surged 150% in 2025 and continue their bullish rally. Argentina is home to one of the world’s largest undeveloped silver deposits — the Navidad project — with estimated reserves of more than 600 million ounces of silver. The project has remained dormant for years.
The companies will be required to carry out a comprehensive rebumping of the plants, involving refurbishment and technological upgrades estimated at $400 million, aimed at extending the useful life of the equipment, improving efficiency and raising operational safety standards.
By combining the European Union’s engineering expertise and innovation capacity with Mercosur’s unique geological endowment, the treaty will make many energy projects more economically attractive.
It has heavy crude refining capacity of about 749,000 barrels per day across three complexes. Its future will depend on political stability in Venezuela. Amber Energy is awaiting the completion of the sale. Three scenarios lie ahead.
The rapid growth of shale oil output from Vaca Muerta has pushed Argentina’s crude production to record levels, positioning the country as the region’s fourth-largest producer, behind Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana.
With a portfolio that already exceeds 27 submitted projects and investment commitments topping $33 billion, extending the deadline to 2027 could unlock additional investment and new projects, further expanding the country’s energy and mining frontier.
The Neuquén Basin now accounts for nearly 70% of the country’s oil and gas production, solidifying its role as Argentina’s main hydrocarbon engine for the next five years.
During 2025, the company divested approximately 55 mature areas across eight provinces. Quintana Energy, Terra Ignis, Bentia Energy, TSB, PECOM, Petróleos Sudamericanos, Crown Point and PCR are among the new operators.
The Neuquén basin is on track to consolidate an unprecedented year-on-year growth trajectory in the region. La Amarga Chica (YPF) and Bajada del Palo Oeste (Vista) are now the assets with the most solid learning curves and the greatest resilience to drops in international prices.
The core of the project is the development and exploitation of the Deep Carbonates Project, through which the company expects to produce about 120,000 ounces of gold annually over a minimum period of 17 years. The committed investment is US$665 million, of which roughly US$50 million will be allocated to geological exploration.
Oldelval expects early start-up by the end of 2026. In its first phase, the pipeline will transport 220,000 barrels per day, expandable to 300,000 and eventually 500,000.
