Gustavo Gallino, vice president of Infrastructure at YPF, indicated that the Vaca Muerta Sur pipeline “is already underway” and will connect Argentina’s oil epicenter with international markets. “This pipeline will cross the country from north to south, allowing ships with oil to be shipped to the entire world,” he stated.
“The key for Argentina to become a net oil exporter lies in the creation of efficient infrastructure,” Gallino noted.
“We have a product and a market, but we need an infrastructure that transports that oil and gas to international markets. This is the basis for the country to earn foreign currency and strengthen its economy,” he explained. The Vaca Muerta Sur pipeline is a direct response to this need and represents a paradigm shift in the local energy industry.
Export potential
The Vaca Muerta Sur project, at its maximum operational capacity, will allow the transport of 390,000 barrels of oil per day, which would increase the current evacuation capacity of the Neuquén Basin by 70%.
This increase would allow the export of up to 135 million barrels of crude oil per year, doubling the current figures and turning Argentina into one of the main oil exporters in the region.
The project seeks to connect the production of the unconventional fields of Vaca Muerta with the ports destined for export,thus optimizing the logistics chain and allowing greater competitiveness in international markets.
Through this infrastructure, it is expected to improve transportation capacity, reduce operating costs, boost the economic development of the region and position Argentina as a key player in the global energy supply.
It will also allow doubling the current transportation capacity from the core area of Vaca Muerta. The oil will be exported via tankers from the port of Punta Colorada, connecting Argentina with key markets in Asia, Europe and North America.
Gallino highlighted that, although YPF leads the initiative, “Other producers will also join, some as partners and others as shippers.”“This collaboration between companies aims to maximize the potential of Vaca Muerta,” he added.
Vaca Muerta Sur is still in its early stages of development, but it promises to be the engine that drives Argentina towards a future as a global energy power.
