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.
Looking toward 2030, projected growth at Vaca Muerta could generate up to 50,000 new jobs, and the Vaca Muerta Institute is positioned as an industry-driven training option to develop upstream specializations in controlled environments.
Leading international analysts agree on a common assessment: the short-term impact will be limited, the recovery will take years, and it will depend on institutional, legal and geopolitical factors rather than a simple lifting of sanctions.
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.
With 1,791 stages, December reflected a slight slowdown, coming in below the annual monthly average of 1,982 stages and well off the record set in May at 2,588. YPF continued to dominate activity with 778 stages, accounting for 43% of the monthly total.
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.
Contrary to narratives that forecast the end of the hydrocarbons era in the medium term, market realities show that crude oil not only remains relevant, but that its importance continues to be strategic to the energy security of major powers.
The agreement involves Continental’s acquisition of a 20% stake in PAE’s interests in the Coirón Amargo Sureste, Bandurria Centro and Aguada Cánepa areas, located in the province of Neuquén, and in Loma Guadalosa, in Río Negro province.
ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Halliburton are among the U.S. companies with outstanding payments stemming from ICSID rulings against Venezuela. Other firms from the United States and Canada, as well as from the European Union, are also involved.
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.
Analysts warn that a violent disruption could temporarily reduce supply, affecting heavy crude prices and benchmarks such as Dubai versus Brent, as the global market would rely more heavily on substitutes from Canada or the U.S. Gulf of Mexico
The key operator of Argentina’s main crude oil transport system has taken a strategic step to strengthen its financing amid high demand for evacuation capacity in Vaca Muerta.
The company had agreed to purchase 90% of the Los Toldos II Oeste block from Pluspetrol. The remaining 10% will remain under the control of Gas y Petróleo del Neuquén, the provincial company participating as a partner.
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.
