Argentina pursues LNG export dreams

Vaca Muerta production is rising sharply, but there are still hurdles to clear

Runaway inflation, a currency crisis and an assassination attempt on Vice-President Cristina Kirchner show the chaotic nature of modern Argentina. No surprises then that the government is banking heavily on the Vaca Muerta shale play to deliver much-needed revenue to state coffers. And in early September, Buenos Aires announced a joint partnership between state energy firm YPF and Malaysian NOC Petronas to fast-track an LNG export plant and pipeline. The government had previously eyed a proposed 20mn m³/d liquefaction terminal for the coastal city of Bahia Blanca, before economic troubles and the pandemic caused the project to be shelved. Much has changed since then, however. Today, record g