Argentina's shale boom
The country's play is set to witness a quick rise in gas output as drillers look to lock in higher subsidised prices
Gas will lead the pace of production growth from Argentina's Vaca Muerta shale play over the next several years, as state-owned YPF and international majors line up test projects in the gassier areas of the basin. The Vaca Muerta is the most vibrant shale region to take root outside North America, with output rising steadily over the past couple of years as activity has picked up and costs have fallen. To date, that production has been roughly half light oil and half natural gas, with total Vaca Muerta shale output growing 60% in the 20 months from the start of 2016 to 76,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day in August last year. That strong pace of growth should continue over the next few yea
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
