Argentina looks to recapture Vaca Muerta shale momentum
Investment in Vaca Muerta has slumped. A deal between Shell and YPF shows government efforts may be turning things around
Argentina's efforts to draw more investment into the Vaca Muerta shale play showed signs of paying off in late February when Shell, and state-owned YPF, struck a $300m deal to launch a new pilot gas project in the area. In a break with YPF's past shale joint ventures, it will cede operatorship over the project to Shell. Each company will take a 50% share in the Bajada de Añelo block, a lightly drilled area that sits adjacent to the Loma Campana block where YPF is working on a shale pilot development with Chevron and where most shale drilling has taken place. Shell will put up nearly 98% of the pilot programme's initial investment. Shell has quietly amassed a significant position in the hotte

Also in this section
11 July 2025
Equinor and its partners at Norway’s largest oilfield have pulled the trigger on a fresh $1.3b investment that will maintain high output for longer
11 July 2025
Reassessment of the country’s export-facing gas policy coincides with worsening domestic market backdrop
10 July 2025
Without sanctions relief, there is little reason to believe the latest potential attempt at exports from the Russian liquefaction project will be more successful than the one last summer
9 July 2025
Efforts to restructure and boost investment appear to be working, but doubts remain about the plan to almost double crude production by 2030