Kuwait declared force majeure on Saturday, Iraqi production has collapsed 70%, and Japan is considering a unilateral release of strategic reserves. Brent hit its highest level since 2022, and operators in Vaca Muerta face a week with more questions than answers.
The analyst, Rystad Energy’s vice president for Latin America, discusses the oil and gas outlook shaking the Middle East and its repercussions for Argentina.
The Colombian investor group invested $107 million to become the largest shareholder in GeoPark. The deal aims to accelerate the company’s regional growth strategy and its development in Vaca Muerta.
The company acquired the assets of the Norwegian firm, which withdrew from the country, and is now awaiting a decision from the pipeline consortium and Chilean national authorities to add its shale oil volumes.
Analysts say Iran is using the threat to the Strait of Hormuz to pressure the United States, putting the promise of cheap energy at risk. The conflict is adding political strain just months ahead of the midterm elections.
Leading Middle East, national security and intelligence expert Danny Citrinowicz argues that the Trump administration faces a strategic dilemma: U.S. and Israeli military superiority does not guarantee a political victory against a regime that will not yield on its nuclear program.
Associated gas — the gas that inevitably emerges as a byproduct of oil production in the black oil and liquids-rich window of the Neuquén formation — is rich in high-value components. In January, output climbed to 26.7 million cubic meters per day, setting a historic record. The industry is closely monitoring the trend, as it could open the door to a new business opportunity.
The company coordinated the international project cargo operation from France to the San Jorge Gulf Basin for two modular polymer injection plants, a key component of its tertiary recovery (EOR) plan, which calls for significant investment.
A focal point of international tensions, Iran holds the world’s third-largest proven oil reserves, estimated at about 208 billion to 209 billion barrels at the end of 2024, accounting for roughly 12% of global reserves and 24% of those in the Middle East
The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most critical maritime passage for oil and liquefied natural gas. About 20 million barrels per day of crude oil and equivalents pass through the waterway each day, representing roughly 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption and more than 25% of seaborne oil trade.
Argentina’s negotiable obligations market tops $20B in 2025, projects another solid year in 2026 as energy accounts for nearly half of corporate financing
Despite falling international prices, Argentina’s energy sector maintained a positive balance and posted a record surplus of $7.815 billion in 2025, driven by unconventional production and lower import dependence.
The new high-purity hydrogen plant is key to the NEC B project, which will allow 100% of the diesel produced at the Mendoza refinery to meet international 10 ppm sulfur standards, reducing emissions and strengthening YPF’s downstream operations with an export-oriented profile.
Argentina is emerging as a regional shale powerhouse, but with weak Brent prices and higher costs, the market in 2026 will demand greater, almost surgical efficiency. The energy map is being rewritten, and the question is whether profitability will hold in the next chapter.
The province has identified areas of significant thickness and thermal maturity within the “Mendoza tongue” of the formation.
