Wed Sep 11 03:58:03 UTC 2024: ## Argentina’s Vaca Muerta Shale Play Fuels Gas Exports to Brazil and Chile

**BUENOS AIRES, Argentina** – Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale play is poised to become a major gas exporter to Brazil and Chile as production surges and new pipeline projects come online. This news comes from executives at Pan American Energy and Tecpetrol, two of the largest gas producers in Argentina, who are aggressively increasing production to meet growing regional demand.

Alejandro López Angriman, vice president of reserves development at Pan American Energy, stated that the company plans to utilize all available midstream capacity to sell gas to Brazil, potentially filling the gap left by declining Bolivian exports. He sees the potential to sell 5 million cubic meters per day (m³/d) of gas to Brazil in the short term.

Ricardo Markous, CEO of Tecpetrol, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the immense potential of Vaca Muerta. He noted that Argentina’s production has skyrocketed from a low of 113.7 million m³/d in 2014 to 150 million m³/d this year, thanks to the shale play. This surge has significantly reduced Argentina’s reliance on LNG imports.

The next step in this expansion is the completion of infrastructure projects that will facilitate exports to neighboring countries. The 22 million m³/d Néstor Kirchner pipeline, connecting Vaca Muerta to Buenos Aires province, is already operational. A project to reverse the flow of another pipeline connecting Buenos Aires province to northern Argentina is expected to be completed in October. This will allow Argentina to stop importing gas from Bolivia and begin exporting more gas to Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay through existing pipelines.

The combined production of Pan American Energy and Tecpetrol currently exceeds 44 million m³/d, with a significant portion sourced from Vaca Muerta. As these companies ramp up production and new pipelines become operational, Argentina is poised to become a major gas exporter, solidifying its role as a key player in the South American energy market.

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