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.
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.
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.
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 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.
In the first episode of a special Pampa Energía podcast series marking the company’s 20th anniversary, Marcelo Mindlin looks back on his personal story, the origins of the project and the decisions that shaped one of Argentina’s leading energy companies.
In his previous address, Milei emphasized economic freedom and tax reforms as tools to fight poverty, casting the state as a problematic actor. This time, the Argentine president will focus on deregulation of the energy sector and Argentina’s role as an LNG supplier from the Vaca Muerta shale.
SACDE has stepped up its search for specialized workers, particularly for complementary pipelines. The company is seeking pipefitters, drivers and heavy-equipment operators, including hydrocranes, motor graders, front loaders and backhoes, as well as welders.
The latest Energy Transition Outlook from Wood Mackenzie warns that the energy transition will be slower than expected. In that scenario, natural gas — and LNG in particular — is consolidating its role as a pillar of global energy security.
Investments must be directed toward incremental oil or gas production and must meet a minimum investment threshold, maintaining the floor of $200 million that already applies to other projects under the RIGI, Argentina’s Large Investment Incentive Regime.
By Ariel Kogan, Oil and Gas Economics Analyst
The CEO and President of YPF set out three ambitious goals for 2026 while highlighting the progress achieved so far, with energy focused on boosting operational efficiency and reducing costs.
Its arrival underscores operators’ push for cutting-edge technology in Latin America’s leading shale formation.
