23/06/2026 18:29 - Economia
The province of Neuquén, located in northern Patagonia, consolidates itself as the main economic and energy powerhouse of Argentina, marking a historic milestone in its exports and taking a strategic step toward the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) market.
According to official data from INDEC (Argentina's National Institute of Statistics and Census), Neuquén's global sales jumped from $1.695 billion in the first five months of 2025 to $3.450 billion in the same period of 2026.
This represents a year-on-year increase of 103.5%, driven almost entirely (98%) by the performance of the Vaca Muerta shale formation, the provincial government confirmed.
Vaca Muerta, whose name translates from Spanish as "Dead Cow," is one of the world's largest unconventional oil and gas reservoirs. Located in the Neuquén Basin, this geological formation holds massive reserves of shale oil and shale gas. Often compared to the Eagle Ford shale in Texas (USA), it has become the cornerstone of Argentina's energy sovereignty and export potential.
Neuquén's momentum had a decisive effect on national statistics. While Argentina's total exports grew by 24.3%, the fuels and energy category registered a 44.9% increase—a growth explained 91% by Neuquén's production.
| Indicator | Variation |
|---|---|
| Share in national energy exports | Rose from 38.3% to 54.7% |
| Weight in country's total exports | Climbed from 5.2% to 8.5% |
Parallel to the export record, the megaproject known as Argentina LNG reached a key milestone. The temporary business consortium (UTE by its Spanish acronym) formed by SACDE (an Argentine construction company) and the Italian firm Tecnimont has been selected to lead the development of the gas treatment and separation plant (IGTP) to be built in Neuquén.
The Integrated Gas Treatment Project will be essential to condition the gas extracted from Vaca Muerta before transporting it to the liquefaction terminals in the Golfo San Matías (San Matías Gulf), on the Atlantic coast, from where it will ship to international markets.
The initiative, driven by YPF (Argentina's state-controlled energy company) and the Italian energy giant ENI, projects investments amounting to billions of dollars and the creation of over 5,000 jobs during its development, as highlighted by Horacio Marín, CEO of YPF. The awarding of this plant signals the project's maturity in positioning Argentina as a relevant player in the global energy market.
Sources: Neuquén Informa, Río Negro
Alfredo S. Quiroga
