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
5 December 2025
Mistaken assumptions around an oil bull run that never happened are a warning over the talk of a supply glut
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026
